A Kingdom of Tears and Blood
by Dengirl
Summary: Earth is gone and a new Gallifrey is in th heavens but the fight isn't over yet...
1. Chapter 1

_**Other characters: Jack Harkness- Ianto Jones- Gwen Cooper, other characters.**_

_**Earth is no more and a new Gallifrey is in the heavens...but the fight isn't over yet...**_

'That winter so many died, not just because of the cold but through starvation and lack of resources.

Crops that usually grew in winter died as did livestock.

A virulent form of influenza has swept through the southern hemisphere, but there was no medicine to treat it...so people died in droves.

But the worse was the war, taking the fittest as it always did. The first offensive was a mistake and it was a bloody slaughter; but we learnt and now we attack and run, destroying what we can, raiding the food stores of the collaborators who have grown fat and rich on the back of their fellow humans

We will win...we have to. To lose means enslavement and maybe extinction.'

General Ianto Jones- Commander 3rd Resistance- April 7th 2030 (New Gallifrey- Year 18)

* * *

The horse's hoof beats were muffled by the snow; a good thing as they were close to the Capital.

The group of riders halted and the leader looked up at the sky, the orange had a tinge of black to it...more snow.

The leader smiled, funny how you got used to things...like the colour of the sky and the grass that showed through the snow.

More hoof beats made him look down and four riders emerged from the trees and stopped.

Only the two leaders dismounted and moved forward.

"General," one said.

"General," the other replied and then they hugged each other.

"It's been too long Gwen," he said.

"Yeah, welcome back, Ianto."

The group rode on in silence through the forest until they came to the edge of a slope.

Beneath them lay the Capitol, lights blazing in the increasing dark.

"Have you heard from Jack?" Ianto said.

"He's coming in from the south, possibly tomorrow. He says to wait and watch."

"And the Master?"

"Still in the East, the 4th are giving him a hard time, or so we heard last time a communiqué came through."

"Which means the Doctor is on his own."

"Yeah but he's been busy. We've lost a hundred men to his...toys," Gwen said. "Speaking of which."

She looked up at the darkening sky and in the distance small specks were approaching.

The group broke into a canter and disappeared into the mouth of a cave.

Outside in the darkening skies an unfortunate rabbit chanced a final meal and paid the price as a laser bolt incinerated it.

Its killer swooped down, infra-red sensors searching for another heat source. It recorded the death of the rabbit and continued on its way, searching for its main target...humans.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Rated M for sex scene...**_

The Capital was the largest city and as such was the best defended, but at the moment in it felt like a prison to the person looking out at it.

He let out a groan as he felt a twinge of pain. He straightened his back and let out a sigh.

"Are you sure you weren't an elephant in your previous life," he said to the cause of his pain. He shivered and moved away from the window and returned to the warmth of the fire, and the chair he should be sitting in.

His husband's last words before he left were to do as the physician said but rest and the Doctor never mixed and he done a little too much and was now paying the price.

He picked up the source of his pain and then sat down. "But you were so worth it...little Jakaar," and held the little bundle closer.

His entrance into the world had been difficult and the physician had told them it would certainly be fatal to have any more.

So they had stopped at three, Ashena the oldest, her brother Seska and now their little brother Jakaar.

Now they would have to rely on the loom that they were building to increase the new Time Lord race and with a twist of the DNA there would be no worry about inbreeding.

The whirlwind that was Ashena burst into the room and the Doctor marvelled at how he'd managed to give birth to such a beautiful woman...twenty-one and all fire, so much like her father all amber gold eyes and firey temper.

"I swear Seska won't make his naming day," she huffed and as she finished her brother, two years her junior blew in, dark eyes ablaze with annoyance, hair all over the place, almost a carbon copy of himself.

"You did that on purpose, you witch!" he shouted and they began arguing.

"Enough!" the Doctor roared. "So help me, you are not too old to be sent to your rooms!"

The two went quiet, if mother yelled it meant they were in trouble.

"Sorry mother," Ashena said and Seska mumbled an apology, very much like his father that one.

Ashena sat on the couch. "How are you mother, the physician said you did too much the other day.

"I'm fine, in fact I'm going out with the patrol in the morning."

"Can we come?" Seska asked.

"If you promise to behave and do exactly as you're told. Humans are tricky, but I suppose you have to learn. Now both of you bed...the patrol leaves early."

As the door was closed a voice said. "You weren't thinking of going out without me were you?"

The Doctor turned and standing at the door was the Master.

The Doctor smiled. "I thought you were fighting rebels."

"I was, the fourth resistance aren't resisting anymore. What I'm looking for now is a different kind of resistance," the Master replied, the intention clear in his voice.

A servant appeared and took Jakaar back to the nursery.

"Now about that resistance," the Master said.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow and smiled.

* * *

"Sweet Rassilon," the Doctor moaned as the Master trailed kisses down his neck and stopped at the treasure trail that led to much more interesting places, and that's where the Master's hand went, making the Doctor hiss and his hips raise off the bed.

"I don't see much resistance," the Master said.

"Keep that up and you will," the Doctor growled.

"Is that a fact?" the Master replied and repeated the same action.

"There you go," the Doctor hissed and let out a rumbling snarl and grabbed the Master's hand.

The Master grinned and tightened his hold on a certain part of the Doctor's anatomy. He attacked the Doctor's lips with renewed ferocity.

That got him the response he wanted and he felt and heard the snarl it elicited from the man beneath him.

"Tajh," he snarled and bit in the Doctor's lip, drawing blood.

The Doctor snarled in response and tried to shift from under him.

"Pajh," the Master snarled and using strength that would crush a human, pinned the Doctor down.

"Nai," the Doctor growled and pushed back, nearly succeeding in pushing the Master off.

"Oh-ho, I see I'll have to go away more often."

"Less talk, more..." the Doctor growled and in the way their love-making always went he lay back and tipped his head back, exposing his throat.

The Master's dominate side rushed to the fore and with a growl he took the Doctor...oh, the noises from the Time Lord under him...needy...wanton as he pushed inside his husband.

As they neared their completion their colours entwined and flashed lightning bright and sun brilliant.

"Beautiful," the Master said softly as the Doctor slept in his arms.

Ever since the death of Tejhan and the difficult births of Seska and Jakaar, the latter nearly causing the death of the Doctor, a sense of foreboding had sat at the back of his mind.

Yes, there was new Gallifrey in the heavens but how long would it be before something or someone took the Doctor away from him. He suppressed a shiver and tightened his hold on the Doctor and eventually fell into sleep.

* * *

One source of his sense of foreboding was staring out at the snow.

"So, the Master's back, that means the 4th has gone. I heard the Doctor gave birth."

"Yes sir, a boy."

He nodded and stepped back into the relative warmth of the cave, allowing his spy to slip back into the snow.

General Jack Harkness sat down heavily on his makeshift bed and let the news sink in; his task had just got harder.

The jingle of bits and the anxious whinnies of horses and the excited yips of hounds greeted the sun as it rose above the mountains.

The patrol had four extra members today and that made them hyper-vigilant.

"I love these cold mornings," the Doctor said.

"You would," the Master replied and pulled his collar closer. "I prefer the warmth of an RV."

"Nah, there's nothing like the bite of cold air in your lungs."

The halted when the patrol leader put up his hand and dismounted.

The Master and the Doctor urged their mounts forward.

"Tracks, my Lords...a large group, civilians and rebels."

"This close to the city?" the Doctor said and looked around nervously and then at his children.

"The tracks are hours old, my Lord. If they were close the dogs would have smelt them, they are a long way off."

The Doctor still looked uncertain and kept a wary eye on the tree line as they continued.

"Easy, there isn't a human behind every tree," the Master said but his words did nothing to settle the Doctor's who dropped back to ride with his children.

"Are there really humans nearby?" Seska asked, having only been as far as the protected zone around the city.

"Perhaps, but they won't bother us...they wouldn't dare."

His only warning was the distinctive whistle of an arrow and he ducked instinctively and the arrow buried itself in a tree.

More arrows followed and several of the patrol fell from they're mounts.

The Doctor struggled to hold his horse which was whirling in a nervous circle.

Several humans burst out of the trees nearest to Seska and made a grab for his horse.

Seska to his credit kept his nerve and swung his horse away.

"Go!" the Doctor cried as he finally gained control of his horse and landed a savage kick to the human trying to grab Seska's horse.

"Leave him alone you filthy T'ara!" he cried. "Go now!" he yelled again.

* * *

Seska urged his mount into a gallop and the Doctor used his horse to shoulder the human away.

He turned in his saddle and saw the Master struggling with another trio of humans...but where was Ashena.

Then he saw her...fighting off a single human...but before he could react, the sound of several engines filled the air...snow mobiles and he saw two burst from the trees...how the hell could humans have snow mobiles?

He never gave it another thought as they were after Seska and they would soon catch him.

With a snarl he snatched a rifle from one of the abandoned horses and set off in pursuit.

Seska urged his horse to go faster; he could hear the machines behind him and he knew they would catch him soon.

Within metres they had caught up with him and he was caught between two humans.

One of the humans started to drag him from his horse when a shot rang out and the human fell away, his chest a bloody mess.

Seska and the other human looked towards the shot and Seska grinned... there was his mother, rifle raised and now approaching at full gallop.

But his joy turned to horror when there was another shot and his mother's horse stumbled and came crashing down, throwing his mother who rolled over and over and eventually came to rest but never moved.

"No, mother!" he screamed and was then silenced by a cloth over his mouth and as his sight darkened that last thing he saw was the unmoving figure of his mother.

* * *

Trans**Translation**

_tajh_-submit

_pajh_-stop

_nai_-no

_T'ara_- human


	3. Chapter 3

The Master had no weapon and he couldn't reach his laser screwdriver, so he improvised and ripped the belt from his waist which sported a large buckle.

He swung it and felt it bite into the face of the nearest human and he pulled hard, yanking the man of his feet and eliciting a scream of pain as it tore from the man's cheek. He quickly gathered the belt and was swinging it again but it was clear that his men were losing the fight as more humans emerged from the trees.

It was then that he heard it...finally, the patrol drones.

The human he was about to attack burnt in a flash of a laser and out of the sky poured five deadly shapes.

It turned the tide of the fight as several more humans were cut down and the rest began to flee back into the trees, pursued by the Doctor's lethal inventions.

He looked round and he saw Ashena...she was shaken but looked otherwise unarmed.

Then she said. "Where are mother and Seska?"

* * *

"We nearly had the girl but she was tougher than she looked. But we managed to get two. We can sell this one to one of the houses in the north...they like them young and untouched."

Seska wasn't sure if what he was hearing was real or just a vision brought on by whatever had been used to subdue him, but if it was real then he was in trouble.

"You said you got two?" another voice said.

"Yeah, killed Peters before we took him down, probably a bodyguard, but still worth something at the slave market."

"Where is he?"

"Chained up outside."

"Fine, let me look at this one first."

Seska came fully awake when a pair of hands pulled him up by his hair and yanked his head back.

"He's pretty enough...make sure he stays untouched...soiled goods are worth nothing."

Seska was dragged to a small pen and thrown inside and then ignored and the shock of it all finally proved too much and he began to cry.

The man who had grabbed Seska by the hair was now walking outside into the snow and mud covered yard.

The second person was chained to two posts, head hanging down and blood dripping from his head onto the floor.

"Don't look like a bodyguard...get his head up."

Another man yanked on the chains and the other person's head was savagely pulled up.

When the first man saw the person's face he swore and savagely backhanded the man who had captured them.

"Do you have any idea who this is...this is the Master's whore, which would make the brat in there one of the Master's bastards. You fool, you've killed us all!"

The man got up and wiped his bloodied nose and drew out a knife. "Then let me butcher them and feed them to the dogs."

"No!" a woman's voice rang out from above. "Touch one hair and I'll be the one doing the butchering!"

The man with the knife lost all of his swagger as the woman and her escorts hurried down the steps.

She ignored him and spoke to the other man. "Get him down from there and send a message to Harkness, tell him we've got something he wants."

* * *

Seska wiped away tears when the door to his cage opened; he wasn't going to let the humans see him cry.

But he only held them back for a few minutes as two men dragged his mother into the already too small cage.

"Animals," he spat as they dropped the Doctor and shut the door.

"Shut it or you'll end up with a cracked head too," one man said.

The other man put his face against the bars. "You're lucky whelp that the whore's on someone's wanted list or he'd be living up to the name."

Seska shrank away from the bars and sat protectively in front of his mother.

"Va'isha's," he spat.

The two men left him alone with his mother who was still unconscious and bloody. All he could do hope that whoever wanted them would treat them much better, but he doubted it.

* * *

Jack was woken from much needed sleep by his second-in-command.

"This better be urgent Silas," he grumbled.

Silas smiled and started to turn away. "Depends on what you call urgent...something like the one thing you've been trying to get your hands on for the last who knows years...oh and one of his children."

Jack shot up, not sure that he heard him right.

"Are you sure?" he asked as they walked towards the waiting man.

"Ask him yourself," Silas said.

Jack looked at the man in disgust; it was one of Saskia's men. Saskia was a thorn in both his and the Time Lords side...a double-dealer who peddled in goods and wasn't averse to dealing in slavery.

"What lie is Saskia selling now?"

"No lie, General," the man said. "She has something you want."

"And how do I know she's not lying?"

The man held out a something and Silas took it from him and handed it to Jack...it was a ring, a signet ring, a bloodstained signet ring.

Jack turned it and engraved on it were the whirls and circle of what was once a dead language. It could only belong to one person; the last time he'd seen it was a lifetime ago and it was no longer on that person's finger.

He glared at the man. "So help me if he's..."

"Don't worry, we didn't cut it off his finger. He's alive and the brat, Saskia want six months of food and ammunition. She says she'll meet you at the Pass of Degradation and she'll wait one hour. After that she'll sell them both to the highest bidder."

Jack said nothing for a minute. "I know you're her right-hand man...three months food and two months ammunition."

"There's no haggling, she has the upper hand."

"Really," Jack said and raised an eyebrow. "I could of course let the Master know where her camp is...I'm sure he'd love to haggle for his husband and child."

The man paled. "Fine, it's a deal. But still one hour."

"No time limits, tell Saskia exactly what I said. I'll be there at dawn tomorrow. She has a choice, deal with me or the Master. If she doesn't turn up then..."

The man nodded and was allowed to leave.

Jack turned to Silas. "Have him followed and contact base camp. Inform Doctor Jones to expect a Code Red, she'll know what that means."

* * *

The Master watched as his men torn the camp apart, but there was no sign of the Doctor or Seska and the human whose mind he'd torn apart knew nothing.

He turned to one of his generals and snarled. "I don't care how much you have to scorch, find them and bring me the head of whoever took them."

A slender hand appeared on his forearm. "Calm yourself father, we will find them."

The Master looked at his daughter. "I can't lose them...not after your brother...I just can't."

Ashena tightened her grip. "They're alive, I can still feel them. But we should go back to the capital, Jakaar will be missing mother...he will need us."

The two turned away from the now burning camp...the first of what would become many.

* * *

Seska tried to shield his mother from the worst of the bumps as the cart carrying their cage was pulled along. He glared at the back of the head of the driver; they could at least have put his mother in one of the covered wagons.

It had been a deliberate act to keep him quiet and to keep his mother out of action.

He shivered but refused to take the coat he'd laid over his mother, who still hadn't stirred. He felt his pulse, it was thread and erratic, but all of his medical skills he'd learnt and was still learning counted for nothing...his mother was badly hurt, a fractured skull highly likely.

"You cold boy," a woman's voice said and he looked up.

"I'm fine," he said curtly.

"Really, then you won't want this fur," she said, holding up the coat.

"I'll take it, but for my mother," he said.

The woman laughed. "Mother, now that's just wrong. No more for him, you can stay cold."

She rode away and Seska vowed to kill her when he got free.

The cart shifted again and he had to grab his mother and he once again glared at the back of the driver's head.

* * *

Jack watched the small column approach the pass. He raised his binoculars and spied the cart with the cage chained to it.

He couldn't see the occupants clearly but he had no doubt as to whom it was, the Doctor and his son.

"Saskia, you unfeeling witch," he growled and strode back to his vehicle.

Saskia's party arrived a few minutes after Jack's and the two leaders walked to the middle of the only piece of clear ground.

"Saskia," Jack said.

"A pleasure to see you again General," she said.

"I believe you have something I want," Jack replied.

"No time for socialising then," Saskia said and nodded to one of her men.

The cart carrying the cage trundled forward at the same time as the wagons carrying the food and ammunition.

"You drive a hard bargain General, but I am rather attached to my head."

Jack watched as the wagons and the cart passed each other and the drivers had swopped. Once the cart with the Doctor and his son was safely behind the two RV's he spoke.

"Now get out of my sight Saskia, before I change my mind. If you care at all for your people, shut up shop and get as far away as possible."

"Is that friendly advice?"

"No, it's a warning. If the Doctor is permanently damaged I'll hunt you down and end your little business. If the Doctor dies I will hunt you down and hand you over to Master personally...is that clear?"

Saskia smiled. "Always a pleasure doing business with you."

Jack didn't move until Saskia and her men were gone. Then he walked past the RV's and stopped at the cart.

"Get them out of there," he snapped.

Two of him men opened the cage but were rebuffed by the young man inside, who was cursing in his own language.

But he was eventually dragged out but was still struggling.

Jack finally intervened and grabbed the boy. "Stop it! I'm trying to help!"

The boy glared at him and he found himself looking into familiar eyes and the flash of gold confirmed it...this was definitely the Doctor's son.

"Then let us go...stupid T'ara," the boy spat and struggled harder when they removed the Doctor from the cage.

"Get him in the truck, cover him with as many blankets as you can find, head straight for base camp."

Jack looked back at the boy. "See, trying to help. Just relax, my name is Jack and you are?"

The boy looked at him and Jack felt just like he did when the Doctor used to look at him like that; like he was being judged.

"My name is Seska and you're not just Jack. You're General Jack Harkness and you knew my mother before New Gallifrey was born."

* * *

_T'ara_- human

_Va'isha/ Va'isha's_- bastard/bastards.


	4. Chapter 4

_**I hope people are liking this story...**_

The journey back to base camp was slow, due to the icy path that ran through the pass and off the mountain.

Jack sat in the relative warmth of the back of the truck with Seska and the Doctor, who was now cocooned in blankets.

He still looked pale and cold and Jack went to pull the blankets tighter, but was stopped by a glare from Seska.

"I'm not going to hurt him," he said softly and despite another glare he adjusted the blankets.

The crusted dried blood on and in the Doctor's hair told him that whatever had caused them to fall into the hands of Saskia, it had been violent and the bruises he could see showed Saskia's usual lack of concern for something she couldn't sell for a profit.

The skin around his neck was broken and looked infected.

"They had him chained until we got to the pass, you can see the marks made by the neck restraint. They were far too tight, if mother had been awake it would have choked him. They didn't chain me...I was valuable."

Jack wasn't prepared for the boy to speak to him and he had a pretty god idea of what valuable meant. He wasn't sure how to reply, so he said.

"There'll be no chains here," he said.

The boy didn't reply just fiddled with the blankets again.

"He'll be okay," Jack said but the boy wasn't listening.

Jack had a chance to study the boy...yes he certainly was the Doctor's boy...the same dark uncontrollable shock of hair and eyes that were dark and unfathomable but was he like his mother in disposition, well like his mother used to be or was he and god forbid, was he like his father?

There was one way to find out and if he was the former, it might be something he could work with.

As they approached base camp he stood and drew back the covering, knowing what was there and he sat and waited.

* * *

Seska had glared at the human when he tried to touch the blankets covering his mother.

"I'm not going to hurt him," the human had said and he still adjusted the blankets.

He wasn't sure what to make of this human; the one his mother said he hated, yet sometimes he'd seen such sadness in his mother's eyes that it belied his words.

Neither of his parents spoke about the time before New Gallifrey but this human and his mother had been friends back then and something had happened to end that friendship.

When the human stood and pulled the covering back his curiosity was piqued and he looked past the human and what he saw was a shock to him.

He'd never seen so many humans in one place and he'd never felt such a wave of desperation. Many of the humans, especially the adults were dressed only in rags and on a cold winter's day and many of the children looked undernourished.

"It's a refugee camp," the human said. "We do what we can but there's not enough food, clothing and shelter to go around. What medicine we have has to be used on our soldiers, so most of these people will die before winter finishes. But there's more arriving every day and soon we'll have to start turning them away."

* * *

Jack had deliberately drawn the covers back, knowing that the refugee camp was there. He was looking for a reaction and he'd got one and the look on the boy's face spoke volumes...there was more of the Doctor that Jack used to know in Seska that he'd dared to hope.

The truck finally stopped and Jack jumped out followed by a reluctant Seska.

Jack was greeted by a dark-skinned woman who hugged Jack.

"Martha Jones, good to see you," he said and hugged her tighter.

She pulled away as the Doctor was stretchered off the truck and Seska went to follow his mother, but was stopped by two soldiers.

He looked at Jack who looked apologetic.

"Sorry kid, even I have orders," he said as the two soldiers took an arm each.

"No...Mother!" Seska yelled and switched to his own language and Jack was pretty sure it was all directed at him.

"Sorry kid...but we need leverage."

* * *

"What I wouldn't give for an X-ray," Martha said as she lifted the Doctor's eyelids.

"His pupils are blown, pulse is thready...it could be anything from a fracture to a blood clot. I can't even tell if he's in a healing sleep. It would help if I knew how he got the injury. I need to talk to his son...Seska wasn't it?"

"No can do Martha, you know the Council's decision. If we get a hold of more than one of them, they're to be separated."

"You do know if he comes round and he's okay, he's going to one unhappy Time Lord."

Jack sobered when Martha said if he came round. "Is there a chance he may not be okay?"

Martha sighed and pulled the blankets back over the recumbent Doctor and adjusted the IV. "I don't know Jack, all we can do is wait."

Jack sighed. "I better go and report to the Council."

He turned to go but Martha caught his sleeve. "Don't let them run rough shod over you, if certain people have their way, they'll want to put the Doctor down...like an animal."

"Not while I'm breathing," Jack said. "If Ianto and Gwen get here before I'm back, tell them to make sure no-one but you or me go near him."

Martha nodded and turned back to the Doctor.

She checked his vitals again and let out a sigh; she had the feeling they had a very angry tiger by its tail, a Master shaped tiger.

* * *

Jack walked towards the main building and was joined by Silas.

He was sporting a nasty bruise. "That boy has a mean right hook."

"So did his mother when you got him angry enough," Jack replied.

"Is it wise to tell the Council? You and I know what they will do."

"You think I should keep this quiet?"

"You could, only you and I know who he and the boy are."

Jack stopped walking and looked at Silas. "And what do I do if he wakes up and starts rampaging through the camp."

Silas said nothing for a moment. "Better he's alive when the Master comes calling. You know he will, he will find Saskia eventually and he will find us."

Jack sighed, Silas was right...had he just made a huge mistake. He made a decision and turned away from the main building and hoped he wouldn't regret making it.

* * *

The Master and Ashena had returned to the capital and now the Master found himself alone in the quarters he'd shared with the Doctor.

He lay on the bed and that spicy aroma that was the Doctor filled his nostrils. He closed his eyes and imagined the feeling of soft lips ghosting over his and the touch of slender fingers...he was going to get that back.

Not only did he want his lover and husband and mother of his children back; he wanted his Storm back.

They had so much more to accomplish and the Doctor was at the centre of it all.

* * *

His world was a confusing whirl of noise and colour but as clear as day was the scream of his son.

With a snarl of rage he shattered the colours and the noise faded to nothing and he surged back into consciousness.

The first thing he saw was a human shaped blur and with murderous intentions he lunged at it.


	5. Chapter 5

Martha had been checking the Doctor's IV when his eyes snapped open and with a snarl went for her.

Only her training with UNIT and the skills she'd acquired in The Year That Never Was saved her as she back-pedalled; the Doctor's hand just missing her arm.

The Doctor's impetus carried him forward and a tray containing equipment crashed to the floor. He fell off the bed and landed heavily on his knees.

He was up in seconds and Martha found herself facing and confused and angry Time Lord.

"Where is Seska?" he snarled.

"He's safe," she said in what she hoped was a calm and soothing tone.

"Liar!" the Doctor spat at her and she flinched at the venomous way he spat the word at her.

All the time, she'd been inching her way towards a hypo-spray that she'd left on another tray.

"Where is Seska?" the Doctor repeated.

"Like I said, he's safe," she said and moved another few inches.

The Doctor followed her movement but didn't move; he looked unsteady and kept a hand on the rail attached to the side of the bed.

"You shouldn't be up, you've had a serious blow to your head."

"I'm fine...where is Seska?" the Doctor said again, then swayed and Martha could see his grip of the rail tighten.

She moved again but this time the Doctor moved but stumbled and fell heavily.

Martha closed the gap. "You are not fine."

* * *

"Don't diagnose me, Martha Jones," the Doctor growled as he saw Martha move closer.

He grabbed hold of the rail and tried to haul himself up but failed...his legs wouldn't obey him.

He growled in frustration and tried again. He didn't want to show weakness, especially in front of this human.

He tried again and succeeded in pulling himself up...fear and concern for Seska overriding the possible damage.

"I'll ask again, where is Seska?"

"I said he was safe, "Martha answered.

He let out a bitter laugh. "You mean he's locked up."

"For his own safety," Martha said.

"Am I a prisoner too? Did you cripple me to keep me 'safe'?"

The look on Martha's face told him she had not; but still he didn't trust her or any human...not anymore.

"I'm a doctor first," she said. "It's not my job to judge you. If you can walk, the door's that way. I won't stop you."

He narrowed his eyes, suspicious of a trap and with supreme effort he let go of the rail and stood. He willed his legs to move and took a step and crashed to the ground.

Martha was at his side in an instant, but he shrugged off her hand.

"Let me help you," she said and held out her hand.

He studied her face for a few seconds and he made a decision...he was incapacitated and until he got his legs back, he wouldn't be able to get away. So he reluctantly took the pre-offered hand and with Martha's help found himself back in the bed.

"Why do you want to help me?" he asked as Martha reattached the IV.

Martha looked at him. "Because you're hurt and medicine shouldn't take sides and perhaps a little guilt."

That surprised the Doctor. "Guilt?"

"Yes, guilt. They did something horrible and I did nothing to stop it, even after I found out I was ret-conned. Taking your children was bad enough, but to hide them from you for three years...that's unforgivable."

"Yes, it is," he said. "But these last twenty years... you should hate me."

"Why, you never pulled the trigger and what reason did you have to want to save us? I was told what happened to Tejhan, I'm sorry."

He looked away then, so she couldn't see the sadness in his eyes and took a breath before looking back.

He looked at Martha properly and she had that look he'd seen on other humans; weary and sick of the war...the Master had been excessively cruel for the year after Tejhan had died and New Gallifrey was still young.

But he'd been drowning in grief, and he had withdrawn from caring for anything and anyone, even little Ashena.

They said that time heals all things; how wrong they were.

His grief had turned to rage and the human race had become the target for his rage and he built machines...toys he'd called them...things far worse than the Toclafane, soulless killing machines that decimated the human population.

Then the war had started as human did what they did best...they fought back...fought for survival.

Then Seska had been born and some of his rage had abated but by then the war was unstoppable and it had descended into kill or be killed and maternal instinct drove him on...to lose would mean the death of his children and that fear had increased again when Jakaar had come along.

His hearts fell when he thought of little son...oh how he wanted to be back at the palace now; safe and warm with the Master and his family.

Martha interrupted his thoughts when she said. "It's not too late. You could stop this...stop the Master."

He looked at her and shook his head. "No, too much has happened...too much blood has been spilt. No, Martha Jones, the cards are dealt and only death holds the winning hand. I don't expect to leave this camp alive."

Martha shook her head. "Not if I can help it. Let me examine your legs."

He hesitated and then chided himself...she had been a companion and if he couldn't trust a companion, then who could he trust.

He nodded his assent and lay back whilst she did her examination and as she did the adrenaline he'd been running on ran out and he fell into an exhausted sleep and never noticed Martha leave.

* * *

Jack and Silas were making their way back to the med-unit when the group of riders galloped into the compound...Ianto and Gwen had arrived.

After several minutes of gratuitous hugging they turned to more serious business.

"You're kidding...you have the Doctor and one of his children?" Ianto said.

"How?" Gwen said as they sat at a table and ate.

"Saskia's men ambushed them and the Master, thought they were rich collaborators. I had to buy them...you know what she would have done otherwise."

They both nodded and then Ianto said. "Do the Council know?"

"No and I want to keep it that way. You know what they'll do and the Doctor alive is a better bargaining chip than a dead body and with one of his children as extra insurance the Doctor won't be going anywhere."

"You're right about him not going anywhere, but it won't be just because you're holding Seska hostage," a voice said.

They looked up, it was Martha.

"How is he?" Jack asked.

"Like you really care," she retorted. "If you really want to know, he woke up for a while but he's not going anywhere."

"Why?"

"He has deep and severe bruising to his spine, he's paralysed."

* * *

The Doctor woke suddenly and blinked a few times to clear the fog of sleep. He woke fully when he heard someone clear their throat.

"Hello Doctor," a voice said, one that he hadn't heard in twenty years.


	6. Chapter 6

Jack had walked quickly over to the med-unit but once inside he found he couldn't touch the door that led to that room.

He took a deep breath and stepped inside the room and it was like stepping back in time.

The Doctor didn't look any older, but then again neither did he. He pulled up a chair and sat at the bedside...how many times had he sat like this, waiting for the Doctor to wake.

But this time it was different, so very different. This time there would be no camaraderie, nor light-hearted banter about Jack having to save his ass again.

That had ended the day the Doctor had found out the truth about his children...no it had ended the second he'd agreed to help the Shadow Proclamation.

He swallowed hard when the Doctor began to stir; his nerves were as taut as bow strings.

When the Doctor eventually opened his eyes he said. "Hello Doctor."

He wasn't expecting a reply and if he did get one he was expecting it to be a negative one. He was almost relieved to get silence and then to be ignored...but he had to know, no matter what the outcome.

"You look good for someone who's had four kids."

That at least earned him a sideways glare...he'd gotten his attention.

"Martha says your legs aren't working."

"That should please you, I'm in a bed and I can't get away from you."

Jack had intended to be calm and rational but that evaporated in a flash of anger and frustration. "Is that what you think, that after nearly twenty years all I want to do is screw you!"

"That's what they call me isn't it...the Master's whore. So go ahead and leave the money on the table when you leave!" the Doctor spat.

Jack couldn't answer that statement, he'd heard the soldiers talk when they didn't think he was listening and he beaten up a few who had voiced what they would like to do to him when they got hold of him.

"So I hear...but it never came from me. So...how have you been besides giving my men a hard time?"

The Doctor looked at him again but there was less fire in his eyes but a load of suspicion.

"Nice try Captain, be nice to the Time Lord and he might just come over to your side...well think again. If you think we can go back to what we had then you're on a road with a dead end. You robbed me of the most important years of Tejhan and Ashena's life. You did nothing to stop them when they took my memories. Then you lied for three years and you let me suffer the nightmares, even after I told you about them. You did nothing when they imprisoned us, and to think all those times I saved this stupid planet and for what...to be stabbed in the back and be treated like a criminal."

"And the Master treats you any better."

Jack knew as soon as the words left his lips he'd made a huge mistake as the Doctor's expression hardened and his eyes flashed angrily.

"The Master treats me like an equal, not something to be used and thrown away like an unwanted toy."

Jack had to back track quickly; he needed to keep the Doctor in a stable frame of mind, if there was any hope of finding the Doctor he used to know and bringing it back. So he changed tack.

"Do you want to see Seska?"

That seemed to wrong foot the Doctor and the anger seemed to drain away. "Why would you do that?"

Jack could hear the suspicion in his voice and he had to be extremely careful about what he said next.

"Because despite this war...despite everything, I don't... "

He was interrupted by the Doctor, his expression hardening again. "Do you pity me? Well don't...I don't want anyone's pity. So, no more lies...no more false promises...no deals or bargains... just go away."

"Oh for Christ's sake," Jack exclaimed and got out of the chair and grabbed the Doctor and kissed him.

He expected the Doctor to try and push him off and snarl at him but he didn't expect the Doctor to respond to his kiss and with passion.

He never got chance to realise his mistake until he heard the hiss of a hypo and as felt his consciousness slip away the Doctor whispered in his ear. "Time Lords, we heal fast."

He pushed Jack away and without any effort he stood and without giving Jack another look slipped out of the room.

* * *

Gwen had volunteered to take food and water to the Doctor's son. "Better to use a carrot than a stick."

He had his back to the cell door and looked a picture of misery, so she cleared her throat, that made him turn and it was like looking a much younger version of the Doctor...the same rebellious hair and eyes that were expressive but looked deeper than the Mariana Trench.

"Seska isn't it?" she asked as she shoved the tray through the hatch. "Lovely name...what does it mean?"

The boy didn't move at first but eventually took the tray and picked at the food.

There was silence for a while and then. "It means Bringer of Happiness...I was born on the same day that my brother Tejhan died and it made my mother happy."

"I like it," Gwen said. "You look like him, the Doctor...same hair, eyes and no doubt you can wrap your parents round your little finger."

Seska snorted. "Perhaps...although mother still wins hands down."

Gwen smiled. "He was very good at it."

Seska looked at her and put down his fork. "You knew my mother too...before New Gallifrey."

Gwen moved closer to the cell. "Yes, I did and he was a different person back then."

Seska put his tray down and moved right next to the bars and said. "My parents never talk off before...tell me about before."

* * *

The Doctor slashed the canvas with the scalpel he'd stolen and slipped out of the med-tent...he only had one thing on his mind, find Seska.

He found a safe spot behind some crates and closed his eyes and let out a breath. He reached out and searched for the colour of his son...yes there, his distinctive metallic purple and he wasn't far away.

Now it was time for a distraction...an explosive one.

He left his hiding place and skirted round the tents, avoiding soldiers and civilians alike.

Then he spotted what he wanted and a feral smile appeared on his face.

* * *

Martha and Ianto walked into the med-unit, aiming to see if Jack was having any success with the Doctor.

The first thing they saw when they entered the room was an unconscious Jack and the second thing was the deep roar of a huge explosion outside.


	7. Chapter 7

The explosion rattled the bars of the cell and Gwen had to hold onto to them to steady herself as the wooden hut that served as the jail shuddered.

"Bloody hell, we're under attack!"

Seska moved to the small window as another explosion shook the floor. "No, the explosion came from within."

"Sabotage," Gwen said as she grabbed the bars again.

Seska turned back to her. "No sabotage...its mother."

* * *

Martha checked Jack's pulse, he was still alive. She flinched when another explosion rumbled outside. She could see that Ianto was itching to move.

"Go, he's fine. I just need to give him the reversal drug."

She went to one of the cabinets and took out a small bottle. She sighed as she administered the drug.

"He did it again, didn't he?"

She sat back and within moments he began to stir. He let out a groan and rolled over and she smiled sadly as he blinked into awareness.

"Oh Jack, he's not the same person, not anymore."

* * *

The camp was in disarray when Ianto exited the med-unit; he knew exactly who had caused the explosion and he had no doubt that it was just a distraction. He knew exactly where that person was going; any parent would.

As he made his way through the mixture of panicked civilians and hurried soldiers, he caught a glimpse of someone flitting between the building next to the jail and the jail. He increased his pace, Gwen was inside with the boy and he didn't think the Doctor was in a forgiving mood.

The Doctor didn't stop to admire his handiwork; they would have found Harkness by now and no doubt they would have figured out the explosion was his doing and where he was going.

As he flitted between buildings he knew the explosions would have been picked up by the patrol drones and they would see what he could see; especially now he'd destroyed a certain something.

The Master would be coming, but he couldn't wait for him, he wanted out and away and take his son with him.

He froze when a group of soldiers ran past, heading for what he'd destroyed. "Good luck with that."

He could see the place he wanted and he could feel Seska's presence and the presence of someone else...a human. He snarled and quickly moved across the gap and he moved round the back of the building and started making his way to the front.

He froze when he felt cold steel against the nape of his neck.

"Going somewhere?"

The Doctor smiled when he recognised the voice. "Well, well, Ianto Jones," he said and went to turn, but the steel was pressed harder into his neck.

"Don't move."

The Doctor laughed and turned anyway and faced Ianto; he had to for what he was about to do.

"Ianto Jones," he said softly, his voice low and persuasive. "If you let me go, you'll have Jack all to yourself. You know he won't look twice at you if I'm here. Let me take my son and go and Jack will be all yours."

As he spoke his voice had become lower and silkier and he never took his eyes of Ianto's and his actions were very much like a snake ensnaring its prey.

Ianto had surprised himself at how easily he'd sneaked up on the Doctor, but he hadn't expected the Doctor to laugh and turn round.

The Doctor was saying something, but all he could think about was the fact that if the Doctor was still a prisoner, Jack would never look at anyone else. If he let the Doctor and his son go, then Jack would need someone to comfort him.

Yes, let the Doctor go a voice whispered in his head.

He lowered his gun and said. "Fine, I'll let you go."

The Doctor smiled. "Thank you, but there is one small problem."

* * *

Gwen wasn't expecting the Doctor to fall through the door and land on his hands and knees, and be followed by Ianto.

"Open the cell door for me," he said. "I can't take my eyes of him."

She nodded and gave Seska an apologetic smile and tapped in the code and the door clicked open. She turned back and found herself facing the barrel of Ianto's gun and a grinning Doctor.

"Very good, Ianto Jones...Seska, step out."

Seska almost bolted out and stood next to the Doctor.

"Gwen Cooper, if you would," the Doctor said and nodded towards the cell. "And of course Ianto...thank you," he said as Ianto obeyed.

"What have you done to him?" Gwen said.

"Oh nothing harmful, just a little persuasion."

"You won't get beyond the pass."

"I won't need to, the drones would have picked up the explosions and your little advantage has gone. The Master will be coming, so enjoy what time you have."

* * *

Jack was on his feet with minutes and despite Martha's protests he ran out of the med-unit and into the chaos.

He knew exactly where the Doctor was going and he sprinted towards the jailhouse. He'd nearly reached it when he heard the sound of the one things that shouldn't be and he looked up...drones and they were scanning...how the hell?

Then he knew what the Doctor had destroyed; the cloaking device.

"The drones!" he yelled. "Somebody shoot them down."

But he knew it was already too late, the Master would be coming and he would come in numbers.

He forced himself to ignore the drones and quickly scanned the compound, hoping to catch a glimpse of Gwen or Ianto...but what he saw were two figures running towards the main gates.

"Oh no. no, no," he said and covered the distance to the jailhouse in seconds. He kicked down the door and saw with huge relief an angry Gwen and a confused Ianto in the cell that Seska had occupied.

He wasted no time asking questions just opened the door and without a word he turned and ran out of the jail, knowing that they would follow.

He ran towards the gates but he couldn't see the pair of escapees. He skidded to a halt, Gwen an Ianto behind him.

"Dammit...open these gates!" he yelled.

* * *

The explosion had sent a wave of heat and sound high into the air and twenty miles and two thousand feet up, a group of five drones stopped suddenly. Three of them headed in the direction of the noise and heat and the other two hovered.

Only a few minutes later the duo shot away, heading for the capital.

* * *

The Master hadn't slept well, for one he was missing the presence and the warmth of the Doctor and little Jakaar was unwell.

At first he thought he was just missing his mother and had tried to comfort him but nothing worked and he seemed very warm.

He eventually called the physician and he did have an elevated temperature, the little mite was poorly.

"He needs mother," Ashena said as she mixed the medicine in with Jakaar's formula.

"I should have spent more time with him," the Master said as he cradled his son.

"How could you, this war has to be won."

"Still..."

They both looked up when they heard the noise.

"That sounds like..." Ashena said.

"Drones," the Master finished.

Two metallic spheres glided in through an open window and hovered above them.

"Descend," the Master ordered and they floated down to shoulder level.

A series of clicks filled the air and the Master said. "Show me."

Images appeared as holograms and showed a huge camp in disarray, but what took his and Ashena's attention was the two figures fleeing across the expanse of snow and red grass just outside the camp.

"Where is this?" the Master growled and a map overlaid the camp.

"But that's only thirty miles from here," Ashena exclaimed. "How could it be so close?"

Another image appeared and showed damaged machinery.

"A cloaking device, only somewhere important would have a cloaking device," the Master said.

Then another set of images appeared and the Master's expression hardened.

"Harkness," he snarled.

He turned to Ashena. "It's time you earnt your chosen name daughter. We are going to rescue your mother and brother and then we are going to take that camp apart. I want Harkness alive and uninjured."

"Yes father," Ashena said and bowed.

Minutes later the gates to the capital opened and armoured vehicle after armoured vehicle poured out and hundreds of men on foot and up above the air was full of lethal machines.

And at their head were the Master and Ashena, who was determined to earn the right to be called her chose name...The Huntress.


	8. Chapter 8

Seska finally understood what his mother meant about the running as he tried to keep up with him.

His hearts were pounding and his lungs were burning, but the adrenaline rush was wonderful.

He was trying to keep up with his mother but he was Time Lord in his prime and he was just a child and Seska knew his mother was holding back; so he pushed himself to draw level with his mother.

The tree line loomed and was a welcome respite as his mother slowed to a fast walk and he had a chance to catch his breath.

"They will come after us," he said.

"I know," his mother answered and then stopped suddenly and sniffed the air.

He turned to Seska and said. "Just over that ridge is an old hiker's trail. It's not far but the slope is steep. Take it at speed and you'll be fine."

Seska frowned. "But we can walk it."

His mother took hold of his jaw and looked into his eyes.

"Take it a speed...follow the path."

"Mother?"

But he was looking beyond him, at something behind. He tried to turn but his mother's grip was like a vice.

"Don't stop, follow the path. Your father will find you."

"But you'll be with me."

His mother looked at him and he saw intense sadness in his eyes and when he spoke again it was with a tone of voice Seska had never heard before; one that he couldn't disobey.

"Whatever you hear, don't stop or look back...keep going...now go."

It was as he took the first stride up the steep incline that he heard it...the howls of wild dogs.

* * *

The Doctor had kept up the punishing pace, even though he knew it was too fast for Seska. But he was acutely aware that they would be pursued and he wanted to get as much distance between them and any possible pursuers.

He only slowed when they reached the tree line and then he kept up a fast walk; he'd felt decidedly uneasy for some miles now and he couldn't quite say why...well he didn't until a breeze carried a unwanted scent to his nose.

If he had hackles they would have rose...the smell of wild dogs...not wolves; they went after bigger prey...but wild dogs, they would make easy work of himself and Seska.

So he made a choice...he would lead the pack away and if he ended up a lunch, then so be it but at least his son would survive.

He hated using that voice on his own son but he had to; he needed him to obey him without question.

"Whatever you hear, don't stop or look back...keep going...now go."

He looked into his son's eyes and saw obedience and he then looked beyond his son and saw the shapes winding their way through the trees.

He waited until he heard Seska take his first step up the slope and then the howls of the pack had his undivided attention.

He didn't move a muscle, waiting...waiting for the pack to appear, and when they did he scanned the pack, looking for the Alpha dog...the one that would start the hunt.

His eyes rested not on the largest dog but the one that the other dogs kept looking at.

It looked like a cross between a collie and some other breed and it stared right back at him...unafraid of the human before it.

It growled when the Doctor didn't look away, those few seconds before it all changed as they sized each other up.

Then he felt the moment shift and with a quick glance at the distant form of Seska, he turned and ran.

With a collective snarl, the pack followed...the hunt was on.

* * *

By the time the gates were opened Jack and the others were mounted and armed and raced out of the gates.

There was no way Jack was going to let them get back to the Master, even though the Master was no doubt coming. The military part of his mind knew he needed as much leverage as he could and the Doctor and Seska were like striking oil.

But the part of him that wasn't a soldier wanted the Doctor back; the old Doctorand he would find a way of bringing it back, kicking and screaming from whatever dark recess of the Doctor's mind it had retreated to and the longer he kept him from the Master's influence the better the odds were of that happening.

If not, there was always Seska.

"There's only one place they're heading," Ianto said as the rode into the edge of the forest.

"The hiker's trail, it goes straight to the capital and it's the road the Master will use," Jack replied.

Gwen turned in her saddle. "You know you've sent those men on a suicide mission, they'll be no match for the Master's men."

"I know, but it might give us enough time to find them both. He might think twice about attacking if we have his husband and child."

Ianto snorted. "You sure about that?"

"I'm counting on it...I'm hoping to have something he wants."

Jack reined in and dismounted, a frown on his face.

They had been following two sets of footprints and it had been obvious where they were leading.

"Dammit, dog tracks...a pack."

He walked a few metres and stopped. "There's only one set of footprints, adult. The pack is following them. They must have split up, look for another set of prints."

The others dismounted and began scanning the snow.

"Over here!" Ianto called and they both ran over.

A set of smaller prints were going toward the rising ground and they followed them until they started going up the steep slope.

"He must have told Seska to go for the trail whilst..." Gwen trailed off and looked at Jack and saw he had the same look on his face as she did. "He's drawn them away from Seska, made himself the bait."

Jack thought quickly. "Gwen, you go after Seska. Ianto with me, he can't outrun those dogs forever."

* * *

Seska found it hard going as he scrambled up the slope; it wasn't helped by the fact that he'd heard the howls of the dogs and every instinct was telling him to turn back and help his mother.

But he couldn't disobey his mother. So he kept on going, even as he heard the howls of the dogs.

He went to take another step and his foot slipped on the compacted snow and he overbalanced and slid down the slope.

He let out a cry as his arm snagged on a tree stump and ripped his jacket and tore into his arm.

He eventually stopped sliding and he lay still for a few moments. He finally pushed himself up and let out another cry...not of pain but one of fear.

Blood was seeping from the tear in his jacket and the breeze was blowing downhill...straight towards the direction of the pack and his mother.

* * *

The Doctor could hear the dogs behind him but he didn't increase his pace; he needed to lead them as far from Seska as he could.

He had a plan in mind...the forest was getting thicker and he had a particular spot in mind and it was only a few hundred metres ahead.

He almost stumbled when he felt something graze his calf...the Alpha dog!

He righted himself and could see his target up a head and very much like a scared cat he leapt for his target and out of reach of the snapping jaws of the Alpha dog.

Hauling himself up the large tree he knew he was safe and that Seska had gotten away.

The pack were snarling and snapping at each other in frustration and he looked down and laughed.

The pack suddenly fell silent as a gust of wind rustled the leaves of the tree and then something happened that made his hearts go cold and his stomach lurch.

They sniffed the air and all but two dogs turned away.

The Doctor knew exactly where they were heading...he could smell what they could smell...blood, Time Lord Blood.

They were heading for Seska and there was nothing he could do.


	9. Chapter 9

Jack and Ianto rode in silence and as quickly as possible, knowing that the longer it took the less chance the Doctor had of staying ahead of the pack.

He had no weapon, not even his sonic, he was defenceless.

"Shouldn't we be hearing them by now?" Ianto said.

"Yeah...it's too quiet," Jack replied.

They continued riding, going deeper into the forest and it was becoming clear that the Doctor had led the pack away from Seska. They wondered how much farther they would have to go when they heard it, the sound of not a pack of dogs but two dogs.

They spurred their mounts into a gallop and into a clearing. Up ahead two large Rottweiler type dogs were snapping at the heels of someone trying to climb down from a tree...the Doctor.

With a snarl Jack drew his weapon and fired and one of the dogs slumped to the ground and the other let out a yelp and ran.

They dismounted and ran over to the tree.

Jack was expecting the Doctor to leap from the tree and run and was ready for it...but he wasn't ready for the Doctor to leap from the tree and sprint towards the horses.

Jack was the first to react and ran after him and with a tackle that wouldn't have been out of place on a rugby pitch he floored the Doctor.

He found himself trying to hold down a cursing Time Lord.

"Let me go!" the Doctor cried.

"Not until you calm down," Jack grunted as the Doctor tried to throw him off.

No...Seska!"

"He'll be fine...you led them away."

"No, you don't understand...the pack smelt blood...Seska's blood!"

Jack released him immediately and the Doctor was on his feet and running.

Jack and Ianto remounted and went after the Doctor, who was running at full tilt now.

They were concerned for Seska but they were also concerned for Gwen.

* * *

Gwen pushed her horse up the slope but eventually had to leave it behind and carried on up the slope on foot.

She followed the footprints but stopped when she saw blood and it was mingled with the footprints...Seska must have injured himself.

She increased her pace and eventually reached the hiker's trail and the footprints as she suspected headed in the direction of the capital. She jogged along the trail and as she came to a bend she heard what sounded like dogs and then someone screaming in pain.

"Oh no, no," she breathed and began running.

She rounded the corner and skidded to a halt and anger overtook her and before she came to her senses five dogs lay dead and two were limping away.

But she didn't care about the dogs, only the figure lying in the snow.

"No, please," she groaned and knelt down beside the still form. "Please be alive...Seska?"

She gently turned the stricken boy onto his back...his clothes were torn and he'd been bitten, more than once and several of them were very deep and there was one bite that she had the awful feeling was fatal.

"Oh you poor kid," she said...there was so much blood.

Seska let out a groan and murmured. "Mother?

Gwen placed a hand on his shoulder. "No cariad, it's Gwen. Oh, your poor mum...he wanted you safe."

"It hurts mother," Seska whimpered.

Gwen forced tears back, unable to treat his wounds or comfort him.

The sound of running feet made her look up and she paled when she saw who it was.

The figure pulled up sharply and the person's cry ripped Gwen's heart apart.

* * *

The Doctor had tried to get out of the tree but the two large dogs kept snapping at his feet when he tried. He was starting to panic as he knew Seska would never outrun the pack and he couldn't see a way of escaping the two dogs.

He was about to try again when a shot rang out and one of the dogs dropped to the floor. He looked up and saw two riders...Harkness and Jones...saviours of sorts.

But he wasn't about to stop and thank them; he had his son to save.

He waited until they had dismounted and were under the tree and he leapt and landed running. His intention was to steal a horse but that plan was ruined by Harkness tackling him.

"Let me go!" he cried and fought against Jack's grip.

"Not until you calm down," Harkness said.

No...Seska!"

"He'll be fine...you led them away."

"No, you don't understand...the pack smelt blood...Seska's blood!"

That made Harkness let go of him and he scrambled up and forgot the horse and ran.

He could hear the others behind him but he had a slight advantage and he intended to keep it and he pushed himself and eventually came to the slope and knew his advantage would increase.

As he was climbing the smell of blood, dogs, fear and another human filled his nostrils and he pushed himself to climb faster.

As he breasted the ridge he heard sounds that tore into his hearts...the screams of his son and the sound of gunfire.

With a sense of rising terror he pushed his already exhausted body beyond its limits and he slipped and skidded round a bend in the road and slewed to a halt at the scene in front of him.

"No, no, no!" he cried and ran, ignoring the person he recognised as Gwen and fell to his knees beside his son.

Blood, there was blood everywhere, it covered him as he took Seska in his arms.

Seska let out a groan. "Siah?"

"Irlia resh eias...you'll be okay...I'll get you home."

Seska stiffened in his arms and he felt a surge of power go through him and he began to...no!

"No...you can't...please."

He didn't notice Gwen next to him.

"Doctor, is he regenerating?"

He glared at her. "You don't understand...he' too young...he won't be able to control the energy...it could kill him!"

* * *

_Sia_- Mother

_Irlia resh eias_- I am here

_Cariad_- sweetheart


	10. Chapter 10

The Doctor could feel the energy building inside his son...he had to do something; so he did the only thing he could do.

"If I were you Gwen Cooper, I would move away."

He then ignored her and lay Seska down on the frozen ground. He placed one hand on his head and one on his chest.

He could feel the regeneration power more intensely now...what he was about to do was dangerous; more so for him than for Seska as he had no idea of what the consequences would be...but he wasn't about to lose another child.

He closed his eyes and slowed his heartbeats and his breathing and he crossed the divide between his consciousness and his son's and into the maelstrom that was the storm of regeneration.

Amidst the swirl of power he saw the silver purple that was Seska.

"Release," he whispered and like a rattlesnake the energy struck the golden thread that was the Doctor.

* * *

Gwen could do nothing but watch as the Doctor held Seska in his arms; he was silent for what seemed an eternity, then he spoke.

"If I were you Gwen Cooper, I would move back."

He fell silent then and laid Seska on the ground. She watched as he placed a hand on his head and his chest.

She thought she heard him whisper something in his own language but she couldn't be sure.

She jumped when the Doctor let out a cry and she scrabbled backwards when golden light started flowing from Seska into the Doctor until the Doctor was engulfed in light and his cry turned to a scream and she had to turn away from the brilliant light.

* * *

Jack and Ianto were halfway up the slope when Jack suddenly doubled over in pain and Ianto grabbed him just in time.

"Jack?"

Jack forced himself to uncurl and Ianto's eyes widened as Jack's eyes were glowing and then he cried out and Ianto almost lost his grip.

Jack took in a huge breath before looking up the slope. "Regeneration," he breathed.

"Who...the Doctor, Seska?"

"No...I don't know...Jesus it hurts."

He moved out of Ianto's grip and began climbing again but Ianto could see he was in pain.

They reached the trail and Jack doubled over again.

With Ianto's help they managed to get round the sharp bend and they were almost blinded by the golden light.

Jack doubled over again and fell to his knees and gasped. "That's not regeneration."

Ianto managed to get Jack over to where Gwen was shielding her eyes. As they stopped the golden light seemed to be sucked into the Doctor who then toppled over.

* * *

Gwen moved then as Seska drew in a huge breath and sat up.

"It's okay, I've got you," she said but froze when she saw Seska properly...the large bite mark on his face had gone and the huge bite on his throat was healing over before her eyes.

She turned her head when she heard a groan and realised for the first time that Ianto and Jack were there; although Jack looked the worse for wear.

Her attention was taken once more by Seska who had come to his senses and was trying to rouse his mother.

"Mother?" he said and shook him. "Mother?"

But the Doctor was unresponsive.

Gwen gently moved Seska away and placed her fingers on the Doctor's neck and snatched them away...his skin was hot...not human hot but hot as in made of metal and super-heated hot.

"Mother's dead, isn't he?" Seska asked in a small voice. "He took my excess regeneration energy and it killed him...I killed him because I couldn't control it."

He started to cry and Gwen had to be sure if Seska was right. Grimacing at the heat, she placed her fingers once more to his neck and smiled...there was a faint pulse; he was alive, but that's all she could say.

"No Seska, he's alive," she said and grabbed his hand and placed it against the Doctor's now thankfully cooling skin. "See."

Seska looked at Gwen and gave her a small smile and wiped away a tear with his free hand and then placed it on his mother's hair and his smile faltered.

"This is not right, his mind is too quiet...I can't hear his voice...mother?"

"I'm sure he'll be okay, but we have to get him somewhere warm, you too."

Seska nodded and then looked up sharply and stared down the trail. "You should run...father is coming?"

* * *

The Master was scanning the trail up ahead, hoping by some miracle he would see the Doctor and Seska.

He had no doubt that the destruction of the shield had been the Doctor's work and he'd already sent some of his force ahead, taking the more precarious but quicker route.

He was only on this trail because it was the way his husband and son had ran.

Up above them several of the modified drones buzzed and clicked. They now bristled with weaponry and the ones he's sent ahead would be the first to attack the camp...rule number three in the Master's personal book on war...demoralise your enemy before wasting resources, and the drones would do just that.

He was about to say something to Ashena when a wave of telepathic and psychic energy hit him and he was brought to his knees.

"Father!" Ashena cried. "Stop...stop!" she yelled at the driver.

She went to her knees next to the Master, who was frozen, eyes wide in shock.

"Father?"

"What has he done?" the Master finally said.

Ashena frowned and then drew back when she saw his eyes glow gold and then flicker gold until they returned to their amber golden brown.

"Who has done what?" she asked, worry making her voice waver.

"Your mother...he's..."

The Master blinked and came back to himself.

"Father?" Ashena said.

The Master got to his feet and said. "I've found them...they're a few miles up ahead...move!" he bellowed.

As the RV moved he closed his eyes and tried to connect with the Doctor but worryingly his golden thread was dull. But he could see the silver purple of Seska and he called out.

"We are coming."

* * *

"Please, you have to go. My father will not be in a forgiving mood," Seska said.

Ianto went to help Jack up but he was a dead weight. "Help me Gwen," he said.

"I'm not leaving them here, we've got a chance to save them both."

"He'll kill us on sight!" Ianto snapped.

"I'm not leaving without them!"

"No, you two have to go...leave him. You won't get away from the drones."

"I'm not leaving Jack!" Ianto snarled.

Jack chose that moment to speak. "No Yan, go...he can't kill me. They need leaders."

"No Jack."

Jack managed to stand and looked at Ianto. "I said go and that's an order...both of you, go!"

Seska put a hand on Ianto's arm. "I will do what I can to temper my father, but you must go now."

Gwen grabbed Ianto's hand. "Come on Ianto...we have our orders."

She looked at Seska who was once again attending to his mother and then at Jack.

"Go," Jack said and she turned away and dragged Ianto with her.

They'd just gone into the trees when the sound of engines filled the air and a RV breasted the rise.

It stopped and a figure jumped out and sprinted over to Seska and the stricken Doctor.

"No, no...what have you done?" the Master cried and gathered the Doctor in his arms.

"He saved me father..." Seska started to say but he was cut off by snarl from him and he had the sense to keep quiet.

His sister was the next to arrive but she went past Seska and her parents and went straight to the person who was standing a few paces away.

"You," she snarled and her face twisted into a feral sneer and with a snarl that was anything but ladylike she backhanded Jack.

She went to strike him again but a roared "Enough!" from her father stopped her.

"Leave the freak to the guards...we have to return to the capital."

* * *

The journey back to the capital was a lot faster than it had been going and the Master carried the Doctor into the palace and into a small room and placed him on the table in the middle of it.

He stroked the Doctor's cheek tenderly and kissed him softly on the lips.

"You are not dying on me...we are the last children of Old Gallifrey and I do not want to be alone."

He stepped away and as he left the room brilliant white light filled it.

"Come back to me," he whispered as the door closed.


	11. Chapter 11

_**A leap of faith on my part...please don't shoot me down in flames**_

_The attack when it came was as brutal as it was short. Our soldiers fought hard, giving the civilians as much time as they could to escape to the mountains and the caves._

_General Ianto Jones and myself were amongst the last to leave, leaving many dead and wounded behind and the screams of those men as they were put down like animals will haunt us forever._

_But if we thought that would be the end of it, we were mistaken._

_Now we are on the move again and I am glad it's spring and the snow is finally melting._

_It's been a year since that fateful day on the old hikers trail and we have had no word since of the whereabouts of General Jack Harkness...we could only assume that he was still in one of the Master's dungeons._

_As for the Doctor, our spy in the palace says his condition hasn't change...a Time Lord Sleeping Beauty but with no Prince Charming to wake him with a kiss._

_We can only hope that one day he wakes up and perhaps the Master will be less cruel and rein in his daughter._

_She is as cruel if not more cruel than her father and the people of Earth have a new Time Lord to fear...the Huntress._

_General Gwen Cooper- Commander 2nd Resistance- April 29th 2031(Year 19 New Gallifrey)_

* * *

The laughter of a child rang through the palace and a small boy ran along a marble lined corridor.

"Lord Jakaar!" a woman's voice rang out but the tiny figure ignored the voice and kept on running, heading for a room they shouldn't be heading for.

The boy was running at full speed but was stopped in his tracks by another adult.

"Whoa there, little brother," Seska said and scooped him up. "You know you can't go in there."

Jakaar squirmed in his brother's arms. "Want to see mama."

"You know you can't, only when father says so."

"No...mama's calling...want to see mama."

Seska frowned...could it be?

He shook his head, it was just Jakaar.

His nanny came running down the corridor all skirts and fluster.

"I'm sorry my Lord Seska, I was distracted for only a minute and he was gone," she said and curtsied.

"It's alright Margaret, he is quite the escape artist. You can carry on with your duties, I'll mind him."

The woman curtsied again and walked back along the corridor.

Seska looked at Jakaar who was still squirming. "Stop running away, you'll get poor Margaret executed."

"Want to see mama," Jakaar whined and squirmed harder so Seska put him down and kept a firm grip on his hand.

Seska shrugged his shoulders, what would be the harm...father wasn't here and if by some miracle mother was awakening then maybe his father wouldn't angry at him anymore.

This last year his father had hardly acknowledged him and Seska knew he blamed him for the condition of his mother.

Seska didn't need his father to make him feel guilty...every night he visited that room when his father was sleeping or away, aiding his sister in her war against the humans.

When he thought of his sister his hearts became heavy...she had changed and had become more and more like her father...worse in fact. She and her father were running this war and Seska was becoming more and more sidelined; as his father had put it...he lacked the killer instinct.

* * *

His thoughts were interrupted by Jakaar, who had managed to slip his grip and was in the room before Seska could stop him.

He blinked at the glare of the white on white walls as he stepped in and he could feel the static from the stasis field.

Jakaar in the way of all small children had climbed onto the bed and being so small had managed to pass through the stasis field without breaking it.

He sat on the bed next to his mother's head. "Mama talk," he said and giggled.

Seska moved closer, his mother was still...frozen in time...unchanged and silent; he could hear no voice.

He shook his head and reached through the stasis field and picked Jakaar up. "Come away little brother, mother is not talking."

Jakaar began to cry and stretched out his arms. "Mama talk," he said again, reaching out his hands towards his mother.

Seska's hearts ached; poor little Jakaar, almost motherless and his father only interested in war.

Jakaar was wailing now as Seska took him away from the still form on the bed and Seska knew it would take hours to console him.

Jakaar let out an ear piercing shriek as the door began to close and Seska had to clamp a hand over his mouth.

"Hush brother," he said as he took Jakaar into his own rooms and placed him on his bed.

There was only one thing he knew that would calm him; it was the same thing his mother had done for him. He began to sing a lullaby, the one mother had sung to him when he was fractious.

"The moon laughed and the star shone brighter,

Silvery fish leapt with joy,

The trees and the flowers sang,

Crimson Wings take flight,

And Rassilon's children sleep safe at night,"

He stopped when Jakaar ceased crying...that was easier than he thought.

Then he heard it...

_"Sleep safe my golden child,_

_Dream of red grass wild,_

_Oh Rassilon's child, sleep safe tonight."_

* * *

Seska's eyes widened in shock...he couldn't believe it...it was mother's voice.

"Mama sing," Jakaar said sleepily.

"No...it isn't possible!" Seska breathed and his eyes widened again when he heard his name.

"_Seska..."_

He leapt off the bed and ran as fast as he could to that room and nearly took the door of its hinges.

"Mother!" he cried

"Seska," the reply came, only this time his mother spoke, although his voice was hoarse and no more than a whisper.

"Oh thank Rassilon!" Seska cried and turned off the stasis field.

He moved to the bed and looked into his mothers dark eyes for the first time in a very long year.

He smiled even though there were tears wetting his cheeks.

His mother moved then and placed a hand on his cheek and he leaned into it.

"No...tears," his mother said.

Seska took the hand and kissed it, then let go and ran out of the room and bellowed at two surprised guards.

"Contact the Lord Master...tell him the Lord Doctor is awake!"

* * *

Down in the lowest level of the palace a figure that was chained to the wall suddenly jerked awake as he heard shouts echoing down from above.

He stood, albeit on shaking legs and moved to th front of his cell...something major was happening, but what?

Then he heard one of his jailers take up the cry and despite the fact the he'd suffered a year of torture he wept...not tears of sadness for his plight...but tears of joy as he heard the cry.

"The Lord Doctor is awake!"


	12. Chapter 12

The Master watched with a sense of pride as his daughter pursued her unfortunate victim and he knew what was coming and a few moments later the shot rang out from somewhere within the trees.

Ashena appeared a few minutes later, remounted her motorcycle and rode back to where the Master was waiting.

"That was too easy," he said.

"You could always let me hunt Jack Harkness."

"No," the Master snarled. "He's mine."

Ashena flinched at the snarled words...she wasn't afraid of much but her father and her mother were two things she feared and respected.

Father's temper always simmered beneath the surface and she knew when to leave him, but her mother when he had been with them, her mother's temper was volcanic and like a volcano you were caught in its explosive power and prayed you survived.

She was about to speak but the sound of another motorbike stopped her.

It slewed to a halt and the soldier almost fell off it in his haste to reach them.

"My Lord!" the soldier shouted and skidded to a halt. "My Lord, wonderful news...the Lord Doctor!" the soldier stopped to draw breath.

The Master scowled. "What about the Lord Doctor?"

"He's awake, My Lord!"

* * *

The Master left Ashena behind in his haste to reach his quarter...no their quarters once more.

He flung open the doors to the bedroom, causing all but the occupant of the bed to jump.

"Leave!" he snarled at the assorted physicians and Seska.

They all obeyed and the Master shut the doors behind them and locked them.

"Ni'ala," a voice said and the Master took in a sharp breath. It was a voice he feared he'd never hear again.

He turned and looked at the figure in the bed. "Eresh'ala," he said and crossed to the bed and laid a hand on the Doctor's cheek...to make sure that this wasn't a cruel trick.

"It is me," the Doctor said and leant into the Master's hand.

"You came back to me," he whispered.

Always," the Doctor replied and then wrinkled his nose. "You smell of fuel and blood."

The Master smiled. "Then I shall shower."

He looked into the Doctor's eyes and his smile faltered...something was not right. He waved a hand in front of the Doctor's face, but his eyes didn't track it.

"You can't see," he said, unable to keep the sadness out of his voice."

"The physicians say it's only temporary, a day or two... side effects of being in stasis. Now, no more sadness," he said and pushed the Master away. "I want a happy mate in this bed."

The Master tried to smile, knowing that the Doctor would sense it if he wasn't.

He reluctantly entered the bathroom and stood in the shower, allowing the water to wash away the smell of fuel and human blood.

But it did nothing to wash away the anger that was rising...it wasn't fair, his Beautiful Storm was blinded; he may never see again, despite the assurances of his lover that it was temporary.

The Fates must hate him.

"Is this how you repay me?" he snarled at the air. "Is this my punishment for my pride...well screw you!"

He leant against the shower wall and he felt the urge to break something or someone and he knew exactly who...but that could wait, all he wanted for now was to protect his mate and once again feel the chaos of the storm that was the Doctor.

* * *

The Doctor heard but couldn't see the Master leave and when he'd gone he let his head hang down...he felt broken and cold inside.

The first thing he'd felt when Seska's regeneration energy had hit him was euphoria; its heat was like a warm fire on a winter's night. But it had turned to pain...extreme pain and then he was in hell and he couldn't escape.

He had ran and kept on running, pursued by nightmares...forever running, heading for a light that he never reached.

But then by some miracle the light came to him and the monsters were left behind.

He'd panicked when he couldn't see and he had a headache that almost crippled him but the reassurances of the physicians and painkillers made him feel somewhat better, and then the joy of being reunited with his son and then the Master pushed it all into the distance.

But when the Master left the room, the headache he'd had when he awoke returned with a vengeance and he stifled a groan and held his head and thankful for his other Time Lord Senses reached for the painkillers.

The Master allowed his anger to cool before stepping out of the bathroom and saw the Doctor putting a bottle back onto a bedside table.

"You're in pain...I'll call the physician."

"No...just a headache...I want to be alone with you, no more interruptions."

"Okay," the Master said and slipped into the bed next to the Doctor.

The Doctor reached out and missed the Master's face and let out a huff of frustration.

The Master smiled and took hold of the outstretched hand and placed it on his face and closed his eyes when soft fingers ran down his cheek.

"Inari," the Doctor whispered.

The Master placed a gentle kiss on the Doctor's lips and drew him into his arms. "Sleep, Eresh'ala."

Hours after the Doctor had fallen into sleep the Master was still wide awake, still keeping a tight hold on his lover.

Dark thoughts chased around his mind...how much longer could he keep hold of the Doctor...were the fates determined that he loose him...not if he could help it.

The Doctor would regain his sight and then they would finish what they started together and the New Time Lord Empire would spread beyond Earth and swallow up the whole of existence.

* * *

No-one took any notice of the cloaked figure as it slipped out of the gates...they wouldn't stop them anyway, since they were wearing the colours of the royal house.

The figure mounted the horse they had lead out of the gates and galloped off into the night.

The lone ride only stopped when he was met by two other riders.

The figure handed over a roll of paper.

"Tell them that he's awake...tell them to run and hide. Tell them that my parents will be coming."

* * *

Ni'ala- Master

Eresh'ala- Doctor

Inari- Beloved


	13. Chapter 13

_**Love him or hate...someone is back**_

The dungeons were as you would expect, not the most glamorous part of the palace, but he'd been in worse.

The last ten days he'd been left alone; not out of concern for his welfare but because his torturer was distracted by something more important. It had gifted him some respite but how long that would last he didn't know and he was glad of it...until this morning.

The door to his cell opened and a way too familiar bounded in.

"Good morning and it is a good morning!"

The figure stopped in front of him. "Aww, come on...you should be happy for me Jack."

Jack looked up at the Master. "What, happy that you've got your partner in insanity back?"

The Master pulled a face of mock sympathy. "Does the freak want a hug because I've got something he wants? I can give you a hug but I can't promise it'll be pleasant."

A few minutes later he was writhing in pain as electricity coursed through his body. He'd lost count of how many times he'd nearly died and the times he had died in intense agony.

But still they asked him the same question.

"Who is your spy inside the palace?"

And once again he screamed out. "I don't know!"

He arched against his restraints once again as every nerve and muscle burned and once more the question was asked and once more he screamed the same answer.

Then everything went black as he died.

"Take him back to his cell...start again when he comes back to life...I want to know who that spy is."

* * *

The morning sun was pleasant, not that he could see it, but he could feel it as he stood at the window of their quarters.

He'd been cooped up in the same rooms for three days now and despite his blindness he knew every corner of it and it was beginning to feel like a very tiny box.

He was starting to get frustrated...his healing abilities were not kicking in and the headache he'd had from awaking hadn't gone away and he stopped taking the painkillers as they were next to useless and he'd been very good at hiding it from everyone, including the Master.

Sighing he stepped away from the window and rolled his neck in an attempt to lessen the constant throb in his head; perhaps a shower would help.

He made his way across the bedroom, deftly avoiding the furniture and into the bathroom. He knew if the Master returnedfrom whatever he was busy with he would chide him for doing this, but he'd never been good at following orders.

The water came on automatically when he stepped in and he reached for the shower gel.

The pain hit him like a lightning strike and he let out a cry and crashed back against the shower wall and clutched his head...Rassilon, it felt like his head was going to explode.

Another wave of pain took him to his knees...he had to get out of the shower but his muscles and nerves were burning and he felt so hot...like his insides were on fire.

He cried out again and he crashed to his hands and knees and every muscle began to shake and every nerve fired at once. He went to cry out again but he was mute and golden light poured from his mouth and eyes and he crashed to the floor, the water washing away the blood that ran from his eyes and ears.

* * *

"That's it, come back to me," a voice said and shined a light in his eyes.

He flinched at the brightness of it...wait a minute...brightness? He blinked and to his delight he saw a fuzzy shape that looked very much like...

"Ni'ala, I can see," he said and tried to sit up.

"R'esa...lay still."

The fuzzy shape moved away and the Doctor could hear murmured voices and the sound of people leaving.

The fuzzy shape returned and he heard the sound of water and then something warm and soft on his eyes; it felt good and when it was taken away his vision was even clearer and he could see the owner of the voice as less of a fuzzy shape and more like the face of his husband.

"Hello," the Master said and once again lifted what was a soft cotton pad to his eyes.

"Sesma oil, your eyes will be sore. This will help, as will this," he said and kissed him. "I should be angry at you, for disobeying me, but you have your sight back."

He put the cloth aside and moved to the door and locked it. He moved back to the bed and the Doctor could see what the Master's intention where.

"I do however have to punish you in some way," he said and advanced on the bed.

* * *

"I have missed you my Storm...missed you in battle...missed you in my bed," the Master said between nipping his way up the Doctor's torso and placed a bruising bite on his neck.

He breathed in the scent he'd been bereft of for so long.

The whimper he elicited from the Doctor undid any control he had. He bit into that neck again and this time he elicited a growl from the man under him.

"That's it...fight me," he breathed...he wanted a struggle...wanted the Storm to snarl and claw at him.

He got his wish as another growl rumbled in the Doctor's chest and nails were dug into his side and he laughed at the pain.

He bit harder and the Doctor's blood flowed into his mouth and it still tasted as sweet as ever, that mix of hormones and life essence.

Another snarl distracted him from the taste as the snarl it elicited had more of challenge in it than lust.

He drew back and his smile turned feral, he was about to get the fight he wanted.

With an answering snarl he went for the Doctor and the furniture in the room was thoroughly tested for its strength.

The sun finally slipped beneath the Mountains of Perdition and two bloody figures cried out in unison and a breeze too cold for a spring night blew through the city as if in the words of a now nearly forgotten playwright 'something wicked this way comes.'

* * *

The guards snapped to attention when the figure walked into the dungeons and said. "I will see the prisoner."

"My Lord...no-one but the Lord Master sees him."

The figure snarled and the guard found himself against the wall. "And I am the Lord Doctor."

The other guard rushed to open the door.

"Leave me," the figure snarled and stepped into the cell.

* * *

Jack stood as the door opened; expecting another visit from the Master...but when he saw who the visitor was he shifted nervously.

"Doctor," he said relief and fear warring with each other inside.

"Hello Jack," the Doctor replied.

"You look good for someone who's been a cabbage for a year."

The Doctor said nothing just stared at Jack and it made him feel decidedly uncomfortable. He wanted to get a reaction, to see which version of the Doctor was standing in front of him.

He noticed the bite mark on the Doctor's neck and said. "I see he's marked you already...must be hard being someone's bitch."

That got a reaction and the Doctor snarled and grabbed hold of Jack's chains and he snarled.

"I am no-one's bitch. I just came to tell you... your pathetic resistance are already dead, they just don't know it."

* * *

In a part of the planet that was devoid of any human life, a swirling orange vortex began to form and grow and as it grew figures stepped out of and stood and waited.

One more figure stepped out and looked around him and then up at the sky and said.

"My, my...hasn't it changed...someone's been busy. Move out...we don't have much time...find him and bring him back to me."

The figure adjusted his coat and a flash of white showed beneath and he smiled...it was good to be back and he was going to take back what was his.

* * *

Ni'ala- Master

r'esa- calm


	14. Chapter 14

I'm writing this now, before the chance has gone.

If you asked me when things changed, I couldn't really say...but they did. Of course his arrival changed things...it always did.

But I would say things changed on that fateful day on that icy hiker's trail.

No-one saw it or felt it...that dark shadow that followed the Doctor from whatever hell he'd been in and who could know what would follow the man we call White Coat.

They say hindsight is a wonderful thing...if I'd had hindsight then his arrival would have been the least of my worries...our worries.

But that time has passed, a kingdom drowned in tears and blood.

If I'd had hindsight I would have done the merciful thing and killed him when he begged me... it would have been easy, one bullet to the head...no regeneration.

But I didn't, because I love him and I will have to live with that.

But as I said at the beginning of this, I'm writing this down now...this is how, well my version of it, of how a Kingdom was lost...a soul was broken...a war won and how we descended from purgatory to hell.

Jack Harkness

* * *

"Missile!" the shout came and every soldier froze as the whine of the projectile filled the air.

All eyes watched as it flew over the stockade...it wasn't the missile they were scared of...it was the contents.

The missile fell silent and they knew their fate.

The missile ploughed into the dirt just outside the walls, and there was that moment when time stretched and nothing happened; then there was a hiss of air and a hatch opened.

Once again there was that moment and then the cry of "Crawlers!" filled the silence and metallic death poured over the wall.

* * *

The screams reached the ears of the sender of the metallic death.

"His toys really are quite wonderful, don't you think?" the Master said and turned to the person chained to a railing of the armoured vehicle.

The figure wanted to cover his ears and block out the screams, but he couldn't.

So, he glared at his jailer. "You've twisted him into a monster."

"Oh Jack, he was twisted by others more powerful than you and I a long time ago. I've merely polished the rough edges."

The subject of the conversation appeared from inside the RV, a manic grin on his face.

"Have to go and collect my pets," the Doctor said.

"In a minute," the Master said.

The grin disappeared from the Doctor's face and his demeanour changed from one of manic glee to petulance.

"But I want to go now," he whined.

"In a minute," the Master said.

"No...now," the Doctor said.

The Master looked up sharply as there was a dangerous tone to the Doctor's voice.

"I said in a minute."

"I don't take orders from you," the Doctor snarled and jumped off the RV and strode away from it.

"Don't you walk away from me!" the Master yelled.

He turned sharply at the laugh from Jack.

"Your leash not as tight?"

"Put him back in his cage," he snarled and went after the Doctor.

"Once a dog gets a taste of freedom...!" he heard the freak shout before he was out of ear shot.

* * *

He may not have wanted to hear it, especially from the freak...but he was right and it galled him to admit it.

There was something not quite right about the Doctor since he came back.

He'd ignored it and he'd had good sport trying to tame that rebellious streak, in and out of bed.

But now it was becoming a problem and the Doctor's moods were becoming darker and unpredictable and on top of that the headaches were starting to become disabling; more than once he'd found the Doctor curled up in a protective ball, screaming at the pain.

The physician couldn't find any reason for the headaches, no tumour or pressure on the brain...if the Master was a less logical creature he'd say there was a dark shadow hanging over the Doctor.

He found the Doctor very quickly. He hadn't gone far, the bodyguards he'd assigned to him made sure of it.

He was standing on a small outcrop of rock, staring out at nothing.

He could see by the tension in his shoulders that he was suffering from a headache...tread carefully he thought.

"Have you come to punish me for disobeying me?"

The word 'disobeying' was laced with more venom than a thousand serpents.

"No...but you shouldn't expect to go straight away. Let the men check for any survivors...you would make a very good scalp for a sniper."

The Doctor kicked at a stone and let out a long breath and rolled his head.

"We're making camp...you should go and rest."

Thankfully the Doctor nodded his agreement.

"Right then...one of your assistants can recall the crawlers," the Master said and turned to one of the guards that had followed him.

"Make camp...we move on their main camp tomorrow."

* * *

Jack tried to get comfortable in the cage he'd been shoved back into, which wasn't easy as it was only just big enough for him to turn in.

He'd raged inside at the screams of men dying in the stockade; they stood no chance against what the Master called the Doctor's 'toys'.

He knew what they were...he'd experienced the bite of said toy a lifetime ago and knew if it had been agony for him then it must have been hell for the soldiers.

He was mad at the Master...why the hell couldn't he see what everyone else could see; the Doctor was clearly unstable and unwell.

Perhaps the Master was much like himself, unable to accept the fact that the Doctor may be lost to the both of them...but lost to what.

He closed his eyes and that feeling that something bad was going to happen returned; but what could be worse than this.

He opened his eyes when someone tapped on the bar...it was Seska, carrying a bowl of what passed for the food the Master allowed him.

"I'm sorry it's only gruel...but I did manage to get this," he said and quickly passed a chunk of bread over; it was fresh and smelt wonderful and Jack quickly dipped in the thin liquid and stuffed it into his mouth.

He nodded at Seska who smiled back.

"I wish I could persuade father to give you some freedom..." he looked round. " I have to go...my parents are coming. Stay strong Captain, this won't be forever."

Jack frowned at those words...what did he mean by that?

He shrugged and watched as Seska scurried away and then the Master and the Doctor walked by, surrounded by guards.

He heard the order to make camp and he knew it was going to be another uncomfortable night and once again shifted to get himself comfortable.

* * *

The Master repressed a shiver as the two figures moved as they entered the tent...ghosts they were called...one of his own inventions but still they made him shiver...the wrongness of them, but they were effective guard dogs.

"You should rest, Eresh'ala," the Master said as the Doctor paced the floor.

"Stop telling me what to do," the Doctor hissed back.

The Master sighed and motioned to the ghosts, who stepped forward and grabbed the Doctor.

He struggled but their grip was secure and he screamed at them to let him go, but they only answered to the Master.

"You need to sleep," the master said and put his hands on the Doctor's temples.

"No...please. I'll do as you say...please...Ni'ala. I don't want to...please..."

He collapsed into the grip of the ghosts and they put him on the bed.

"Don't let him out of this tent."

The ghosts said nothing, but he knew they would obey him; he had work to do, he couldn't watch the Doctor as well.

* * *

The Doctor knew he was wrong to snap at the Master, but something inside had snarled at him to get some spine and a wave of rage had surged through him.

Now he had a headache and it threatened to split his skull in half...so he'd tried to get away and hope the headache would dissipate.

But the headache persisted and now the Master was forcing him to sleep and he didn't want to sleep...because his sleep was full of monsters.

Now he was running from them as they snarled and snapped at his heels and there was no escape because the Master had forced him into sleep and he couldn't wake up.

He stumbled and fell and the only thing he felt was the searing pain as one of the monsters sank their teeth into his flesh and he screamed.


	15. Chapter 15

Dark shadows flitted through the empty streets of the capital, heading like a pack of wolves for one particular prey.

The guards at the gates were no match for these trained and silent killers and they had no resistance to their entrance as they passed recumbent figures, sleeping the sleep of the drugged.

They thought nothing of killing the woman that tried to protect the little boy that was hiding under his parent's bed.

There was no father to fight of the man that kicked the bedroom doors in and there was no mother to stop the man dragging the little boy out by his feet and sling him over his shoulder.

There was no-one to hear his screams for his mother as he was spirited away.

* * *

White Coat was watching the Master and the Doctor as they entered the tent and then watched the Master emerge and walk away.

He looked away when he heard hoof beats and waited till the group of riders had halted.

"Well, did you get it?"

"Yes sir," one of the men said and gestured to one of the other men, who rode forward whilst trying to hold a squirming bag.

He dismounted and dumped the bag on the floor and opened it and dragged out the contents.

White Coat smiled. "It seems to have my properties spirit."

He dismounted and stood over the little boy that had now stopped struggling.

"You, my little friend are going to get something back that belongs to me."

He put a hand out to grab hold of the boy and the boy tried to bite him but was restrained by his captor.

The men around the little boy laughed and the same man that had held him scooped him up and held him tight.

"Oh, I'm going to have fun training you," White Coat said. He turned to the man who had spoken to him.

"Are your men in position?"

"Yes sir."

"Then get on with it...distract the whole camp."

* * *

White Coat adjusted his coat and brushed some dust off of it. He'd waited an eternity for this moment...well in the place he'd been sent to, it seemed like an eternity.

His escape hadn't been easy and he knew that his jailers would not be far behind him and he wanted to leave with his property before they arrived.

The presence of the other Time Lord was a complication...one he hoped was about to eradicated; he had no use for something he couldn't control and the other Time Lord was such a thing, he had sensed that much back on his properties wonderful vehicle, another thing he intended to get back.

But his property, it showed him the proper respect and fear and he'd grown weary of losing it to those unworthy of keeping it and had had every intention of keeping it this time; he just had to find a tighter leash and he done just that when he'd learnt that his property had bred and produce offspring.

Three to be exact, two of which were within the camp he was looking down on and therefore unattainable.

But the third, now that had been vulnerable and now he had it and he would use it to lure his property and there was only one way to do that.

He looked down at his property's off-spring and reached into his pocket and took out what he needed.

The man held the little boy and White placed it round the little boy's neck and adjusted it.

He stood back and took out another object and without the slightest hint of guilt twisted the dial.

He didn't even flinch at the scream it produced from the child...why should he, to him it was like experimenting on a lab rat.

He didn't even register the first explosion as he twisted the dial again.

* * *

The Master was as startled by the explosion as his men; he was on the other side of the large encampment...the explosion could only mean one thing...they were under attack!

By the time of the second explosion he was snarling orders at his men and trying to get back across the camp and back to the Doctor.

He spotted Ashena stalking towards him, her own elite guard behind.

"They're inside the camp," she growled.

"Then find them and kill then," the Master snarled.

She gave a quick bow and began bellowing her own orders.

The Master knew she would find them and turned his mind back to getting to the Doctor...the Doctor would not sleep through this.

As he moved another explosion erupted only metres away from him and he was caught by the blast and thrown to ground and didn't move.

After a few moments he managed to get to his feet but was nearly knocked off them again by the wave of rage that poured into him through his bond with the Doctor.

Something other than the explosions had happened to enrage him.

He tried to call out to him but the Doctor's rage was all encompassing and he could do nothing. So he called out to Ashena who answered and they met at the edge of the camp.

She cast around and stopped. "It's not just mother...Seska too and someone else. They're heading that way," she said and began walking towards the mountain range.

The Master and several of the elite guard followed her.

As they continued along the pathway, he remained focused on the rage coming off of the Doctor...it hadn't lessened and now he was getting something else; he tried to focus and then he heard it and his own anger boiled.

Somehow Jakaar was here and someone was hurting him.

Ashena turned at his snarl, a look of fear on her face and she thought she was a formidable hunter...but the look on her father's face and the rage she felt coming from her mother far ahead told he she was nothing but a mewling kitten and for once she actually felt pity for whoever was causing harm to her little brother.

* * *

The Doctor stirred at the first explosion but didn't come to, lost as he was in his nightmare but the creature that had a hold on his torso suddenly winked out of existence when another scream filled the air and this time the Doctor did wake.

"Jakaar!" he cried and shot up...it was his youngest child's scream he'd heard.

He was up in an instant and went to move but found his way barred by the Master's ghost men.

Get out of my way," he snarled, but they refused to move.

He flinched when another piercing scream filled his head and he let out a groan as he saw Jakaar's colour flicker inside his mind.

With another snarl, this time more feral he grabbed hold of the two ghosts and filled them with the fire that was burning inside him and they became ashes.

He staggered when another scream threatened to tear his mind apart.

Any sense of danger or reason fled him then and he stopped becoming just a Time Lord...he became the Oncoming Storm and more dangerously, a mother out to protect his child, willing to kill the one causing them pain.

He exited the tent and took no note of the noise and the smell and heat of fire...nor did he register the voice calling to him.

He moved quickly and was out of the camp in seconds, following the echo of his son's scream.

* * *

Seska was the nearest to the tent and as he picked himself off of the floor after the second explosion he saw his mother leaving the tent.

"Mother!" he shouted but he didn't hear him. "Mother...stop!"

He was about to go after him when he heard someone shouting his name...it sounded like Jack Harkness.

He turned and saw the cage he was in on its side; it must have been tipped over by the blast.

"Hey kid, get me out...I can help!"

Seska was torn between helping Jack and going after his mother, who was nearly out of sight.

He made a decision that he was going to regret and went to Jack's aid...he might need Jack's help.

He ran to the cage but he didn't have a key, so he looked around for something to break the locks with.

He spotted something and picked it up and aimed with the gun, but his hand was shaking.

* * *

"Give it to me!" Jack yelled, putting his hand through the bar.

The first explosion had tipped his cage and the second had nearly deafened him...the camp must be under attack.

Then he'd seen the Doctor emerge from the tent and he could see by the look on his face that he was intent on doing something...something murderous, but he was heading out of the camp.

Then he saw Seska and called out to him...the kid looked torn between helping him and going after the Doctor.

He was surprised when Seska turned and picked up the discarded weapon and pointed it at the locks; he was shaking so badly he was liable to shoot him and not the lock.

So he'd taken the gun off him and had wasted no time in getting out.

"C'mon kid, let's go get your mother before he hurts himself or someone."

Jack spared one glance back at the camp as they left it in pursuit of the Doctor...it was in flames; why did he have the feeling it was all a distraction for something else.

They'd only gone a few metres when Seska suddenly staggered and Jack caught him.

"No...no!"

Jack grabbed of him and looked at him and saw the look of horror on his face.

"My brother...he's in pain," Seska breathed.

* * *

The Doctor had left the camp behind, not caring if it was destroyed. He was focused on only one thing...find Jakaar and kill whoever or whatever was causing him pain.

He had no idea how far he'd gone from the camp but he was brought up short when up ahead he saw him...his little boy in the hands of a brute of a man.

With a snarl that was pure maternal rage he flew up the rise towards the man but never made it as he felt a sharp pain in his neck and his world started to become blurry and as his world went dark, the last thing he saw was the tear-stained face of Jakaar but as he succumbed to the dark he saw something around his son's neck that he thought he would never see again...something he'd worn once...something that terrified him.

A collar.


	16. Chapter 16

Jack shook Seska. "C'mon kid, move your ass."

"So much pain..."Seska groaned.

Jack let out a growl and grabbed hold of Seska's face. "If we don't move, we can't stop it."

Seska shook his head as if to clear it and nodded and allowed Jack to pull him along.

"What the hell is your kid brother doing out here?" Jack said as they climbed the rising ground.

"He wasn't, he was at home...someone must have taken him and he's is such pain, some Va'isha is torturing him. That's why mother took off...he's angry captain, beyond angry."

Jack looked up at the track ahead; he didn't need Seska to tell him that, he'd seen it on the Doctor's face as he left the tent...someone was going to die and Jack wasn't inclined to stop it.

He increased his pace, hoping that Seska could keep up and to the boy's credit he did, although Jack could see the worry etched on his face.

"We'll get there kid," he said.

They rounded a curve in the path and stopped, just to get their bearings.

Jack looked down at the ground and saw a jumble of hoof prints and foot prints and he grimaced.

"Too late..."

"Yes, you are too late," a voice said and both of them looked up and saw the Master and Ashena looking down on them.

* * *

The Doctor jerked back into consciousness and as he did, so did his anger.

With a snarl he moved or tried to move but his movement was restricted by chains and there was something else...something that made his stomach roil, because it meant only one thing...he was back.

A sob from his left made his breath catch and he turned.

In a cage next to his was Jakaar; he moved as far as his chains would let him and said softly.

"Little one."

Jakaar was curled in a little ball but unfolded and crawled over at the sound of his voice; his blood boiled and chilled at the same time when he saw his son's dirty and tears streaked face.

His whimpered "Mama" and a pair of small hands reaching through the bars made his hearts lurch and he moved again but the chains stopped him a few inches from his son; but those few inches might as well of been a chasm.

With another sob Jakaar sat down and began to cry again and the Doctor's temper flared and he looked towards the small camera he'd spotted.

"I know you can hear me, you bastard. When I get out of here, I'm going to gut you like the pig you are!"

The door to their prison opened and his intended victim walked in and the Doctor couldn't stop a small shudder or his involuntary shuffle backwards when he entered his cage.

"Such language in front of your offspring, but then what should you expect when you've lost any manners I've taught you...no matter, the attitude will stop."

"You think I'm scared of this," he snarled and fingered the collar.

"That's a possibility, but your offspring is," White Coat said

"No!" the Doctor cried as White Coat raised a box and twisted a dial.

"Irlia ir isha!" he roared and lunged at White Coat as his son's screams of pain ripped through him but he was cruelly pulled back by the chains.

"What was that?" White Coat said over Jakaar's screams.

"Stop it...please!" the Doctor cried.

White Coat twisted the dial again and the screams stopped and there was an awful silence.

"That's better, less of the attitude and more respect. However, I think you need a reminder as to your place."

He turned the dial and this time it was the Doctor who was his target.

He refused to make any sound and kept his eyes locked on White Coat's, but all the time he could hear his son's frightened whimpers.

The pain stopped after what seemed an eternity and he was bathed in sweat from the effort of resisting and he collapsed to the floor.

He was hauled up by one of White Coat's men and his head was wrenched up and White Coat leaned right into his face.

"You've had your freedom, even bred and born more of your kind. Well no more...you are my property and will be again as will your offspring and as for your mate...well, you can forget ever being bedded by him again."

He stepped back and said. "Get them ready for transport and if he resists...punish the brat."

White Coat looked again at the Doctor. "Get used to this...you and your child belong to me and the sooner you accept it the better."

The Doctor fell to the floor again once the men let go of him and as soon as they had left he finally broke down and let the tears flow.

A small voice filtered through the tears but it only made him more miserable.

"Mama sad...Jakaar love mama..."

He pulled himself up and sat and drew his knees up and wrapped his arms around them...he knew his fate and now his son was going to suffer because of it and there was no-one to help him.

* * *

_Va'isha_- bastard

_Irlia ir isha_- I will kill you.


	17. Chapter 17

The Master followed the psychic scent of the Doctor's rage...such was its ferocity that it was giving him a headache.

As he and Ashena walked he tried to reach the Doctor but all he got was the painful flare of the Doctor's rage and mixed in with it was the terror of his youngest son and his own temper began to rise...someone had the gall and the audacity to invade his palace and take his child.

It was a dangerous mix, even for someone like the Master; he knew the Doctor...knew how hot his temper could run and knew he had to get to him before he went beyond rage and became truly frightening and wouldn't care who he destroyed.

He was distracted from his thoughts by Ashena.

"The tracks are fresher here, we're getting closer and father I recognise the other prints now...they're Jack Harkness'."

The Master let out another snarl and looked up. "We won't catch up with them if we keep following this path."

He looked up at the rocks above. "We need to go up."

It had been a wise decision but to the Master's chagrin the Doctor's rage had suddenly gone from his head but his son's terror had not and he couldn't use that to find them. He also wanted to know what Seska was doing with the freak...that boy was far too much like he Doctor of old.

But that could wait...if he was to find his husband and child then he would need all the help he could get, including the 'talents' of the freak.

Jack looked up at the Master and tensed, expecting an attack but was surprised when the Master, a girl, who he assumed was his daughter Ashena jumped down followed by a small group of armed men.

He and Seska were ignored as the girl cast around the ground. "Four riders, one must be carrying extra weight...but they're heading up, into the mountains. If they get into the pass we'll never catch them."

Jack smiled then. "Yes we will."

The Master scowled. "Are you suggesting that you, your rebels and I work together?"

Jack nodded.

"No," the Master said but was interrupted by Seska, who had remained silent and almost invisible till then.

"It makes sense, father...they know the mountains even better than Ashena."

The Master looked at him and no matter what his opinion of his son at this moment, he couldn't fault his logic.

He sighed and said. "Fine and how do you intend to contact your rebels?"

"Oh that's not going to be a problem," Jack said and all but himself looked round in surprise at the sound of weapons being raised and figures appearing out of the shadows.

* * *

The Doctor was shaken from the same nightmare of monsters by two men pulling him up and dragging him out of the cage and the building.

He blinked as the early morning sun hurt his eyes and he had no choice but to allow himself to be dragged from the cage and be chained to the back of a cart.

He was quiet until he saw one of the men carrying Seska and threw him into the cage on the back of the cart.

He snarled and went for the man, almost reaching him but intense pain coursed through him and he collapsed against the cart.

White Coat rode up and looked at the downed Time Lord.

"I told you to remember your manners...do that again and your son will suffer. Now, get up...I believe we will have company soon and our means of escape is...shall we say...slow."

The Doctor hauled himself up and turned away from White Coat and focused on Jakaar, who was staring in wide-eyed fear at White Coat.

He put his hands on the bars of the cage and said. "Don't be afraid, little one...I won't let him hurt you."

Jakaar crawled over and finally they touched hands and the Doctor poured as much love as he could through their bond, before the cart moved and their hands were pulled apart and he was dragged along.

He stared past Jakaar and the cage and straight at White Coat's back...oh, he would play the cowed Time Lord for now, but at the right time, there was nothing that would stop him from carrying out his threat.

He felt a pain in the small of back when one of White coat's men thought he wasn't moving fast enough and prodded him with something sharp.

He bit back a snarl, adding the anger to the already boiling ocean of rage that was crashing against the cliffs of his self-control.

So instead of fighting back, he dropped his head and increased his pace.

* * *

"I will not work with these T'ara!" Ashena spat and a few of the rebel soldiers brought their rifles up.

"Enough!" the Master roared. "You will work with them. Do you think your ten men can go up against what might be an army? I want your mother and my child back...I can't replace your mother but I can loom another daughter."

Ashena flinched and seemed to shrink at the Master's words.

"Yes father," she said quietly and stepped back and some of the tension left the air.

The Master ignored her after that and turned back to Jack and his two Torchwood members.

"Then it's agreed...we will join forces and find the Doctor and my son."

And for the first time in nearly twenty years, the two enemies shook hands and an uneasy truce was made.

* * *

If we had known then what was going to happen that fateful day deep inside the Mountain of Perdition, perhaps my father would have not agreed to a truce.

But he did, for the love my mother and my brother and it was to be many a person's downfall.

That day someone was lost...and someone was stolen.

They say the Devil waits for an open window but sometimes he rips open a door.

Seska

* * *

T'ara- humans


	18. Chapter 18

The Doctor tried to keep up with the cart, but his shoulders and arms ached from being pulled when he fell behind.

The heat was getting to him and they refused him water.

They were heading towards the mountains and the heat would be gone...it was always winter in the mountains and Mount Perdition was the worse.

The convoy finally stopped as it grew dark and he was forced to stand whilst the camp was made. He didn't even have the energy to protest when Jakaar was taken from the cage and into one of the tents.

Eventually White Coat appeared as they were dragging him towards a post that had been hammered into the ground.

"No, put him in my tent and make sure he's chained well."

He was dragged across to the largest tent and as soon as he was chained he fell into an exhausted sleep.

He was woken by the smell of roasted meat and looked up and there was White Coat, sitting at a table eating.

He looked over when the Doctor's chains rattled. "Ah, you're awake...hungry, thirsty?"

The Doctor glared at him but couldn't stop his stomach growling.

"Seems you are. If you promise to behave, you can eat in a civilised manner."

The Doctor wanted to refuse but his mouth was watering and he found himself nodding.

"Good," White Coat said and a guard appeared and undid his chains.

The Doctor stood but didn't move.

"Sit," White Coat said and despite himself he sat, automatically responding to the commanding tone in White Coat's voice.

White Coat passed a plate over that held roast chicken and a chunk of buttered bread.

The Doctor eyed it but didn't touch it.

* * *

White Coat entered his tent and saw his property asleep on the floor...time to begin his training.

A few minutes later one of his guards appeared with two plates and he began eating, knowing that the smell of food would wake his property and it hadn't taken long; hunger was a great tempter.

"Sit," he said when his property stood but didn't move and was pleased when it obeyed...good, there was still some of his previous training in there somewhere, something to work with.

"Eat," he said when his property didn't reach for the plate in front of him and scowled when he still didn't touch it.

In fact it glared back at him and pushed the plate away and snarled. "Nice try."

White Coat sighed and said to the guards who appeared. "Chain him outside...perhaps a night in the cold will dampen your stubborn streak, and bring me the child."

"Don't you dare touch him!" his property snarled as he was dragged away.

* * *

Jack joined Gwen and Ianto by the large fire outside their tents.

"Thought we'd never see you again," Ianto said. "I see the Master kept himself occupied."

Jack fingered the still livid scar on his neck. "He wasn't the best host...but he could have been worse. The others weren't as efficient at torture as he was."

Gwen let out a snort. "Only you could joke about a year of torture. You don't really trust the Master and that daughter of his."

"Know your enemy Gwen...better to keep them in sight and keep an eye on them. If there's a new player we'll need their help."

"Well whoever it is, they can't be human. None of the crime lords or splinter terror groups would have the balls to do it," Ianto said.

"Could they be alien?" Gwen said.

"It's possible," Jack said.

"If they are...then they're either stupid or very powerful," a voice said from behind them.

Seska sat down next to Jack. "They would have to be either to anger my parents. Do you think once they've conquered this planet they'll stop? My father and my sister's ambitions know no bounds."

"And what about the Doctor?" Ianto said.

Seska was silent for a moment. "My mother has been...unwell since he came back to us. I do not know what he thinks."

He stopped then and looked into the fire. "There is something inside him...I'm not even sure what it is but he's different and then there's the headaches and the nightmares...every night the nightmares."

"He always did have nightmares," Jack said.

"Yes but not these nightmares. Sometimes we would find him running away in terror, as if something was chasing him. Father doesn't want to see it but I do...he is not right."

"Like he wasn't crazy enough," Ianto said.

Jack glared at him. "That doesn't help Yan. So Seska...what does your father think?"

Seska sighed. "They do not talk to me, they think I have sided with you...a traitor."

"And have you sided with us?" Gwen asked.

Seska glared at her. "I side with no-one...my concern is for my mother and my brother. If I had my way I would take them both and leave this wretched place to my father and Ashena."

He stood then and stalked off into the dark.

The trio looked at each other and Gwen said. "He's his mother's son alright...but Ianto's right. If he's more unstable then we may be rescuing a mad dog."

Jack shook his head. "We need to try and I'd rather have the Master and Ashena with us than against us."

"And what if the Doctor is worse than ever?"

"Then we deal with it."

* * *

The Master was not happy; he hated been forced into alliances where he didn't have the upper hand and especially by the freak and his ...son.

That boy needed a serious attitude adjustment. He'd been too soft on him for the Doctor's sake as he seemed to favour the boy; understandable he supposed as he'd been born on the second anniversary of Tejhan's death.

When this was over and it would be over he would send him to the Wastelands and he would learn what humans were really like.

But for now he just wanted to get the Doctor and his youngest child back. He had a suspicion that whoever had taken Jakaar and then overcome the Doctor wasn't human; no-one on Earth had the courage to commit such an act.

No, it had to be alien and whichever alien race it was, they would soon be an extinct race.

He rubbed at his forehead, the drums were increasing in sound and he was desperate for the rage of the storm that was the Doctor to drown them out.

* * *

The snow had started to fall minutes after he'd been chained outside and now he was cold; even a Time Lord would be tested by the snows of Perdition.

But at least his son was warm, even if he was in the viper's nest and despite the cold he began to sweat with the fear of what White Coat would do with Jakaar. Jakaar was just a baby and hadn't learnt yet to distrust humans.

He reached out and tried to touch Jakaar's colours, but the cold was affecting his abilities and he eventually fell into sleep and into the nightmare.

He was running, running in the dark, but he could hear the monsters behind him. He could hear their snarls and growls, smell their breath.

But he knew he would never escape; he knew he would be devoured.

He felt the first bite and he began to scream.

The scream rang around White Coat's camp, bringing out the occupants.

* * *

"Get those chains off!" he bellowed as his property convulsed.

Two of the guards moved forward and grabbed the chains and dropped them with cries of pain.

"They're hot!" and as they said it, the chains began to glow.

White Coat jumped when his property let out a blood-chilling scream and stepped back when golden light began to pour from his mouth and eyes.

It seemed like the light and his convulsion would never stop but they did and his property fell to the floor, the snow melting where his body lay.

One of the guards moved forward and placed a hand against his property's neck.

He stood and shook his head. "I'm sorry sir, there's no pulse...he's dead."

White Coat let out a sigh. "A pity, dispose of it and break camp. I want to be at the rendezvous point on time...the boy will have to suffice."

As the camp broke two of the guards dragged the body towards the edge of the path and shoved it over and turned away...not bothering to watch as the body fell.

Soon the path was deserted and only the howl of a lone wolf could be heard.


	19. Chapter 19

The Master was growing impatient, this was taking too long. Yes the snow made it difficult but not impossible; he could still feel the Doctor through their bond.

They were losing time through being over cautious and he was about to tell Jack as much when it hit him.

He cried out and fell to his knees as the bond between him and the Doctor was ripped apart. A few moments later Ashena and Seska cried out and went to their knees, much to the consternation of those around them.

* * *

Jack was the first to react and went down on his knees in front of the Master. "What's wrong?"

"No...please, Eresh'ala."

Jack frowned; he knew that was the Doctor's name in Gallifreyan...had something happened to him?

He got an answer of sorts when Ashena and Seska started to cry. He grabbed the Master's shoulders. "Master, what has happened?"

The Master looked at him and said. "He's gone."

Jack blinked. "He's regenerated?"

"No...he's gone...he's dead."

For a moment it looked like the Master was going to fall apart, but his face hardened and he snarled."

"They killed him...murdered him."

He stood then and looked at his children. "Get up, the both of you," he snapped.

"Master..." Jack began but was cut off by him.

"Shut up freak. All deals are off, this is about blood vengeance now. I will work with you until we find his body and then we are finished. Hunt them if you want, but don't get in my way."

Jack wasn't having that and snapped back. "Do you think you're the only one who cares about him...loves him!"

"A pet's love for its owner," the Master sneered and shoved Jack away.

Jack shoved back and snarled. "I want revenge as much as you, but going after them when you're this angry will only put Jakaar at risk!"

That stopped the Master. "Dear Rassilon...he must have seen them murder him."

"Let me help you," Jack said softly. "We'll find his body together and burn him together and then we'll hunt them down...together."

The Master blinked and then nodded.

Jack gave him a half-smile and turned to Gwen and Ianto. "Send the men back, we have to do this quick and quiet."

They didn't argue, too shocked at the news that the Doctor was dead and along with Jack ushered the men away, leaving the Master and his children to their grief.

* * *

In a cage a small cried for his mother, not understanding that he was never coming back...all he wanted was the warmth and safety of his mother's arms.

* * *

White Coat listened to his property's offspring as it cried but felt nothing...why should he, it was just an animal crying for the thing that gave life to it.

It had been a blow to lose his property but still he had the offspring and he would have years to train it.

He dearly hoped that it had the same propensity to insanity as its mother...no matter if it didn't, the right training would ensure it.

His only regret was that he hadn't been able to take his property's carcass with him; he really wanted to find out how it had reproduce as it certainly hadn't been female and he would never be able to prove his theory that it had had been some form of hermaphrodite...well internally perhaps.

But no matter, he could always come back for the female; he was after all very good at genetics.

But that would have to wait...no doubt he would have the wrong sort of company as whatever telepathic or psychic bond there was between his property and its mate would have been severed when it died and he would have his hands full of an avenging male of its species.

He said to his commander. "Do not make camp tonight, press on, we may have company very soon."

* * *

Jack took the first watch, which was easy now there were only six of them.

He'd heard sobs coming from the Master's tent...for all their bravado, Ashena and Seska were still children and the shock of losing the Doctor, they're mother must have been beyond horrific.

He went back to his watch and was spooked by the cry of a lone wolf, but it was far away. He jumped when the Master s voice spoke.

Didn't thing there were any wolves left."

Jack looked at him, his eyes were red from crying...not that he would admit to it.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Yeah," the Master replied. "You know, we'd been friends since we were two or three years old...more than friends by the time we'd finished the Academy. But he grew tired of the rules, like me and he stole a TARDIS and ran, leaving me behind and then I left. I was angry with him...for lifetimes and then the Time War came and well..."

Jack knew the rest of it, painfully well.

The Master cleared his throat and said. "We should get an early start, the snow will cover a body quickly."

Jack nodded and the Master left then.

Jack looked out into the snow...had it taken the death of someone they both loved to stop a war...perhaps.

He desperately wanted to break down and weep, but tears would have to wait.

* * *

He was running, running so hard, the monsters snapping at his heels. His feet slipped and slid on the icy surface of the tunnel and his only hope was the growing light in the distance.

If he could reach the light, maybe the monsters would stop.

He pushed himself forward and burst into the light of a cavern. He skidded to halt when he saw what was ahead; he tried to back-pedal but the snarls and howls of the things in the dark stopped him.

He was given no choice and he was forced forward, into the thing ahead and it surrounded him and all he could do was scream as he felt like his blood was on fire.

He woke with a start and then began to panic for real...he'd been buried alive.

With a cry that was a mix of fear and panic he began to claw at the sides of his grave and as he did any sanity he had shattered.

He crawled out of his frozen tomb and fell to the floor and began to convulse and once again light began to pour from his eyes and mouth.

But this time he didn't pass out, this time he stood and the light retracted but stayed in his eyes and they glowed with unearthly power.

He'd been buried as a Time Lord but he emerged from the grip of death as something else...something that every living thing should fear.

* * *

Eresh'ala- Doctor


	20. Chapter 20

_**Warning- ateempted rape scene but nothing graphic**_

The trail wasn't easy; the path was only as wide as the cart that was being hurried along it.

The men with it kept looking around them, nervously watching the snow. There had been eight of them, now there was only five...something was hunting them.

They'd been ordered by White Coat to take the empty cart and create a diversion.

Another man cried out as he disappeared over the edge of the path, his scream muffled by the snow.

The remaining four ran; they would rather face the wrath of White Coat than what was in the snow.

A figure emerged from the snow; it wasn't a creature or a slavering monster, it was a man.

The man approached the cart and let out a snarl when what he had wanted wasn't there. He sniffed the air...searching for the scent of what he wanted...but what he did catch was another familiar scent.

He growled at the scent and disappeared into the snow...intent on a new purpose.

* * *

"More snow," Ianto grumbled as they walked.

Gwen smiled. "Rather snow than those blasted midges."

They kept their voices low, out of respect not for the Master, but for the two younger Time Lords. No-one should lose their mother to murder.

"We'll never find the body," Ianto said.

Gwen sighed. "Maybe, but we have to try, for those kid's sakes."

"Yeah," Ianto replied and they carried on in silence, hurrying to catch up with the others.

Ashena was examining the ground along with Jack and the Master.

"They definitely camped here," she said and moved to another part of the ground. "The ground is clear here, like something..."

She reached out a hand and touched the patch of snowless ground and drew it back sharply.

"It's hot!" she exclaimed.

"Something was forced into the ground," Jack said.

He looked closer and frowned and picked up a handful of what looked like ashes and burnt splinters of wood. "Something was burnt here...no, they didn't..."

The Master let out a growl. "They burnt him alive...reduced him to ashes, without ceremony...no words spoken to the gate. I'll roast them like the pigs they are."

Jack looked away from the site of what was the Doctor's brutal and agonising immolation.

He forced his stomach to stay down and a shout from Gwen helped and the three of them jogged over to where Gwen, Ianto and Seska were standing.

"Looks like they split in two, the cart's carried on up, heading for the mountain and the rest are heading for the pass."

Jack scowled. "We can't split up."

"We follow the cart," the Master said. "Jakaar is too young to walk far."

"But he could be with main group," Ianto said.

"No, too many patrol drones. They all have our bio-signals programmed in, it makes sense to go up, where the drones don't go."

"He's right," Jack said before Ianto could reply. "Like we did at the start. We follow the cart."

* * *

White Coat looked at his watch...time was racing and it wouldn't be long before his jailers would find out where he'd escaped to, and he didn't want to be here when they did.

He looked over at the small bundle slung across one of the horses. He'd had to sedate his now deceased property's offspring; it's wailing threatened to attract the attentions of the metal spheres that were starting to appear in the valley below.

Another one of his dead property's inventions; another regret at losing such a valuable asset.

Then an idea began to form in his head...death wasn't necessary final. The cold would keep the body fresh; he could bring him back using the...yes, it would work. If his property thought he'd escaped him, then it was wrong.

He reined in his horse and turned to his commander. "We're going back, I want to retrieve the carcass."

"Sir?"

"I want to retrieve the carcass of my property."

"But sir...the time."

White Coat gave him a sharp look. "Are you questioning my orders?"

The commander, a hardened mercenary shook his head; he knew better than to question White Coat's authority.

"No sir."

"Good, send some of the men ahead and tell my associates to have the chamber ready, and to have the gateway powered up. We will no doubt be in a hurry."

"Yes sir, what about the kid?"

"Take it and make sure you keep it safe."

"Yes sir," he said and grabbed the bag off the horse and trotted away.

Five minutes later White Coat was heading back to retrieve the body of his property; not even death would save it from its rightful owner.

* * *

The snow was coming down faster and it was becoming dangerous to go at anything but a walk and night fell early in the mountains.

"We'll have to stop soon...so will they," Jack said to the Master.

He didn't look happy but said. "Okay, there's a cave about half a mile on. No-one but myself and the Doctor know about it. It was our bolt-hole, but I don't suppose it matters now."

They soldiered on following the Master until he stopped by what appeared to be solid rock and then disappeared. They followed and went through a small tunnel and emerged into a large cave.

Jack was surprised to see it wasn't empty, as stacked neatly in one area were medical and food supplies.

"Like I said, bolt hole," the Master said as he handed Jack a sleeping bag and then split open one of the boxes.

A fire soon chased the cold from their bones and they ate in silence, listening to the wind howling.

The silence remained as they retired and each was lost to their own thoughts.

* * *

Outside a figure emerged from the snow, sniffing the air and growling when he couldn't find the source of the scent...so close and yet...

He looked up sharply when he heard muffled hoof beats and with a silent snarl he melted back into the snow as a group of riders appeared.

One of the riders was holding a device and was sweeping it back and forth. He stopped and gestured to the others and they dismounted and began examining the rock face.

After a few minutes of searching they froze and there was some animated gesturing; weapons were drawn and they disappeared into the rock face.

A few seconds later he reappeared and this time his snarl wasn't silent...they smelt of death.

* * *

The first warning they had was the sound of weapons fire and then a group of men bursting into the cave.

It was only their battle hardened reactions that saved them from a massacre.

Jack was the first to react and without think ploughed into one of the men and they went down in a tangle of limbs, the man's weapon skittering away.

The others were all struggling with their own assailant, but there was still too many and the rest went straight for Ashena and Seska.

Ashena drew her knives and pushed Seska behind her.

"Oh girlie, you'll fetch a nice price, they like them feisty."

"Slavers," she hissed and took a swipe at the man who had spoken.

The man grinned. "A she-wolf, I'll soon tame you."

The men moved as one and they soon overwhelmed Ashena and Seska and the man who had spoken grabbed Seska by her hair and began dragging her.

She tried to fight but he hit her and her head rang with it and he dragged her outside and somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew what was going to happen.

Despite the dizziness she tried to dig her heels in but the man was stronger than her and she was dragged outside.

He threw her to the floor and was on her before she could move, ripping her clothes.

The cold air hit her skin and his hands and breath felt like they were burning her.

She cried out in pain when he bit into her shoulder and forced her legs apart. She closed her eyes, so she didn't have to see his face.

She heard him snarl...no the snarl came from somewhere else.

Suddenly the man's weight was gone and she dared to open her eyes and she saw the man being lifted into the air by a spectre.

The sound of a neck being snapped was like a gun-shot to her and the spectre dropped the body.

Ashena blinked in disbelief...it couldn't be a spectre...how could a spectre kill?

The spectre turned to her and smiled but said nothing and disappeared into the snow.

She managed to get to her feet and was going to follow when she heard her name being called.

She looked towards the voices then turned back...but the spectre was gone.

"Mother," she whispered.


	21. Chapter 21

The Master drove his blade home and pushed his dead opponent away, not even giving him a second glance. He looked round for more opponents and saw Seska struggling in the grip of two men.

With a snarl he threw his knife and one of the men went down with a blade in his gut.

The other man let go of Seska and drew his gun and aimed it at the Master.

But instead of a smile of triumph a grimace of pain crossed his face and he fell forward, a knife sticking out of his neck.

Behind was Seska, his face set in a mask of anger.

The Master smiled...so the boy had spine after all. His smile faded when Seska said. "One of them took Ashena...I think he's going to..."

The Master didn't need Seska to say it he knew and whipped round to see the others finishing off their opponents.

"Harkness!" he called and set off at a run.

He could hear someone behind him but he didn't look back.

"Ashena!" he called as he ran outside.

"Ashena!" he heard Jack call his daughter's name.

"Ashena!" he called again and his hearts leapt when he heard her voice...it was faint and she sounded like she was in pain.

Like a Cera Cat after its prey he locked onto her voice and found her within minutes.

She was naked and shaking and he quickly removed his coat and wrapped her in it. "Little flower...did he?"

She shook her head. "M-m-mother s-s-aved m-me."

The Master shook his head, she was delirious. He went to lift her up but she flinched.

"Let me," Gwen said as she appeared at their side. "Let's get you inside, cariad," she said and Ashena let her help her to her feet.

The Master went to follow but Jack stopped him.

"The last thing she wants in men around her. We should look for the bastard that tried to rape her."

The Master looked at the two women as they walked away...she needed her mother and he was dead.

* * *

Gwen gently sat Ashena down and swapped the Master's coat for several blankets.

"Let's see if we can find some clothes," she said and moved over to the supplies and eventually returned with some trousers and a t-shirt. "It's not the latest fashion but who cares."

She winced when Ashena moved one of the blankets and she saw the bite mark. She went back to the supplies and gathered cotton pads and what looked like iodine.

"This will hurt," she said.

Ashena never made a noise whilst she cleaned and dressed the wound.

"You were very brave, fighting him off...he won't get far."

Ashena did speak then. "But he's dead."

Gwen frowned. "There wasn't a body."

"Mother killed him, he must have moved it."

Gwen smiled sadly...poor girl, the shock was making her delusional. But she couldn't let her continue...it would make it worse.

"No sweetheart...your mother is dead."

"No, I saw it...mother killed him."

Gwen shook her head. "There's no body love, he ran away."

Ashena glared at her. "No...it was mother!"

Gwen said nothing, not wanting to upset the girl further, but she had to admit, even though Ashena was a strong girl, she would have still been overpowered, the bruises and the bite mark the evidence that he had...could it be?

She chided herself...the Doctor was dead. She shivered and hoped the others would come back soon.

* * *

"He's long gone," Jack said as the snow started to fall again.

"The mountain will kill him," the Master snarled.

"Come on, let's get back before this gets any worse," Jack said.

"You go...I want some time alone," the Master said.

Jack nodded. "Not too long...your daughter's lost one parent already."

Jack moved away and gestured for Ianto and Seska to follow him.

He waited until they were out of earshot before speaking. "I don't know if you made it past the Gates...not that I believe in that stuff. I hope you did, but I think we'll meet again the Dark Realms, for our sins."

He shivered and turned to go back to the cave, but as he was walking he got the distinct feeling he was not alone. He whipped round and peered into the snow but there was nothing.

He continued walking but couldn't shake the feeling and he walked faster...it must have been what Ashen had said.

He shook himself mentally...no such things as ghosts.

He was farther from the cave than he thought and the snow was coming down faster. He stopped again...this time he heard something...the shuffle of a foot in the snow behind him.

He turned and called out. "You might as well show yourself."

Nothing...perhaps it was the wind.

He turned around again and began walking. He could see the cave entrance and actually felt relieved when he entered the passageway.

He stopped again when this time he definitely heard a footstep and it wasn't the wind this time.

He didn't turn round, he kept on walking and when Jack looked up at his entrance he put a finger to his lips and with the slightest movement of his head alerted Jack to a problem.

Jack nodded slightly and moved to the side of the cave entrance whilst the Master pretended to stop and examine his shoes.

The footsteps rang round the cave and everyone stopped, except Ashena who was in a world of her own.

Suddenly the silence was broken by a snarl from the passageway and a blur of colour shot from the dark and went straight for the Master.

The Master, reacting out of instinct went with the attacker and the crack of the attacker's head hitting the icy floor made everyone jump.

The attacker landed face down and didn't move.

With a snarl the Master hauled the inert figure over onto its back and then dropped it in shock.

"It can't be..." he breathed.

Jack and the others all stared at the figure in confusion and then Ashena's voice broke the silence.

"I told you it was mother."


	22. Chapter 22

Jack shook his head in disbelief as Seska and the Master attended to the one person they thought they would never see again.

"But he was..." Ianto said.

"I know," Jack replied.

"There were ashes."

"But there he is," Gwen said.

Jack went to go towards the little group but Ianto placed a restraining hand on his arm.

"No Jack, not now."

Movement caught their eyes and Ashena moved past and they didn't stop her as she sat at the Doctor's feet.

Jack felt a pang of loneliness as he watched...they were a family.

"Come away Jack," Gwen said and pulled him towards the other side of the fire.

"This changes things," Ianto said.

Gwen nodded. "We may have to make a quick exit, the Doctor isn't exactly your biggest fan."

Jack shook his head. "No, we stay...whoever snatched Jakaar is someone we need to know about. We can't fight a battle on two fronts. We stay, no matter what."

The others said nothing, knowing that it would be useless trying to persuade Jack to do otherwise.

* * *

Seska cleaned the wound and was relieved to find that it wasn't deep, just bloody. He couldn't think about the turn of events...not yet. He'd gone from mourning his mother to finding he was alive in the space of half a day.

He was working quickly as he could feel the tension returning to his mother's body.

"Father, hand me the glue...father," he said sharply when he got no response. "Mother is coming round and I don't think he's going to lay still."

He father blinked and handed him a small bottle.

He quickly applied the glue, pressing the wound together; he could feel his mother literally trembling under his hands.

"Father..." he began to say but never finished as his mother's eyes snapped open and he fell backwards when with a snarl his mother shot up and once more went for his father.

* * *

The Master didn't believe in miracles...well not murderous ones, and this particular miracle had his hands round his throat.

He stared into the Doctor's eyes and saw no recognition; there was nothing but madness and fury.

Time to stop this he thought and with an answering snarl he clamped his hands on the Doctor's wrists and twisted.

He kept twisting and gradually the pressure on his throat began to ease and by then Jack and the others had gotten over the shock and were now pulling the Doctor away.

He was dragged away and he was spitting out words in Gallifreyan...murderous words.

He sucked in precious air and stood and collected his thoughts...he had to take control.

With confidence he didn't feel he strode over to where Jack and Ianto were struggling to keep hold of the Doctor, who spat more of the murderous words at him.

Jack and Ianto tightened their hold...painfully tight, but the Doctor didn't seem to notice.

"Pajh na...pajh na sia!" he commanded.

He got a snarl in response. "Irlia ir y'easah isha!"

"Isha ir mira resh Ni'ala!" he snapped, using a tone he reserved for intimidating his opponents.

But neither the tone of voice nor the words had the desired effect and the Doctor let out another snarl and struggled harder.

The Master scowled...he wasn't having that.

"Enough!" he snarled and moved closer and stared into the Doctor's eyes.

"Isha ir mira!" he said again, this time enhancing it with that voice...the one the Doctor should respond to.

This time it worked and the Doctor stopped struggling and a frown replaced the mask of anger on his face.

He blinked. "Ni'ala?"

The Master smiled and then frowned when the Doctor's eyes rolled back and went limp in Jack and Ianto's grip.

"Leave us," the Master said after they'd laid him down on several sleeping bags.

"Don't think so," Jack said.

The Master squared up to him and said. "Unless you've suddenly acquired another heart and the abilities of a Time Lord then I suggest you back off and let me look after the mother of my children and my husband."

Jack held up his hands and backed away; sensing that now was not the time to argue and he moved everyone away to the other side of the cave.

"Is that wise?" Ianto asked.

Seska answered. "Father won't hurt him...despite what you think. He would do anything to protect our mother."

No-one said anything after that.

* * *

Gwen busied herself with Ashena, making sure she was comfortable as no doubt the bruising was probably starting to hurt and Jack and Ianto along with Seska sorted out the watch rota.

Jack sat by the fire, his watch would be the last. He looked over at the blankets that had be hastily erected and sighed...somehow he knew his chance at getting the Doctor away from the Master had gone.

Now he had a new problem...the people who had taken the Doctor's youngest son and had almost killed the Doctor. Whoever they were, it was a problem he could do without.

With a sigh he lay down and pulled the sleeping bag tightly around him and bit back the tears that were threatening to overwhelm him.

* * *

_The screams were getting louder and no matter how tightly he held his hands to his ears._

_He let out a whimper and then the smell came to his nose...the stench of burning flesh._

_He uncurled from the ball he'd been screwed up in and he forced himself to open his eyes and he wished he hadn't._

_It was like a scene from Dante's Inferno and there were creatures...such awful creatures._

_Then he heard a scream._

_He rose to his feet and turned towards the scream ...everywhere was burning._

_Then he looked beyond the horror of what was before his eyes and he let out a moan of sheer terror...not here...not here._

_Another scream drew his attention and he turned and his legs went from under him at what he saw and he fell to his knees and his own scream joined those already echoing through the air._

* * *

The Master gently wrapped his arms round the Doctor...still reeling from the events of the last twelve hours; he lost and regained his lover and mate and still couldn't believe that he was holding him.

The Doctor stirred in arms and let out a moan and the Master frowned; it sounded like he was frightened.

He held him tighter and whispered to him in Gallifreyan but it didn't placate him.

The Doctor became more and more animated and the Master found it hard to hold, not just because he was squirming but because he felt incredibly.

The Doctor suddenly let out a sobbing cry and his eyes flew open.

"It's okay...efi Eresh'ala...efi."

The Doctor looked up at the Master and his eyes were full of terror.

"Eresh'ala...Doctor...what is it?"

"They're coming...the monsters are coming. "

* * *

Pajh na...pajh na sia- Stop this...stop this now

Irlia ir y'easah isha- I will kill you

Isha ir mira resh Ni'ala- You will obey your Master

Isha ir mira- You will obey

Efi- easy

Eresh'ala- Doctor

Ni'ala- Master.


	23. Chapter 23

White Coat was displeased...his men had searched and dug the area where the body of his property would most likely have come to rest but no carcass was forthcoming...could his property have survived? And if it had...where was it?

Of course, how remiss of himself; he had the perfect tracking device. He took out a small device and adjusted a few dials...and there it was.

"Commander!" he called and then said more quietly, "it seems my property has become Lazarus."

* * *

The Master was trying to calm the Doctor who had once again fallen into a restless sleep. Monsters...what kind of monsters could frighten a Time Lord?

He sighed; he could do nothing, not with their bond in tatters. He tightened his hold on his lover, who pressed closer to him in response to the pressure; at least he wasn't trying to kill him and the way he'd clung to him like a frightened child meant that somewhere inside a tiny part of the bond was clinging on.

The Doctor let out a sigh and moved again and the movement exposed that much loved throat. It was then that he saw a glint of metal under the Doctor's collar.

Why hadn't he noticed it before?"

Carefully he loosened the Doctor's tie and opened the Doctor's shirt...it looked like...yes it was a collar, and to the Master, a collar meant only one thing.

Someone else had claimed ownership of him.

"Oh no, I am not having that," he said and reached out to touch the collar.

The Doctor's eyes flew open and he flinched, the look of fear in his eyes making the Master hesitate.

"It's okay, I just want to look," he said and reached out again and touched the collar.

He felt the Doctor tremble and he said softly. "Still, Eresh'ala," and the trembling lessened but didn't stop.

"Ni'ala...don't, please," the Doctor whimpered.

The Master ignored him and said. "Whoever put this on doesn't own you. You are mine and I need no collar to show it."

He felt round the collar and found what he thought was the lock and smiled when there was an audible click as the collar unlocked. He carefully removed it and scowled when he saw the chafe marks on the Doctor's neck.

He dropped the collar with a look of disdain and said. "See, you belong to me." He cupped one of the Doctor's cheeks and said. "Who put this on you?"

The Doctor blinked and a tear escaped. "Mesis Tesri."

* * *

Jack had been woken by the Doctor's cry, attuned as he was to anything to do with the Time Lord.

In the quiet of the cave he could hear the murmured words coming from behind the blankets.

He sat straighter when the Master exited and Jack saw the collar in his hand and his blood ran cold; only one person used a collar like that and only one person would have the gall to put one on the Doctor.

Only one person would treat him like livestock, and that meant he had the Doctor's son.

"He's here, isn't he?" the Master said.

Jack nodded. "The collar, it's his handiwork."

Jack couldn't blame the Master for being angry.

"He collared him like a dog. I'll find out how this thing works and I'll put it round his scrawny neck. I take it this was used as some sort of correction."

Jack nodded and took the collar and flashes of bad memories flicked through him as he handled it. "It's a piece of work, just like him. He's a cancer, you think you've exorcised it but it keeps growing back."

"Then I'll cut him out," the Maser snarled.

"Just let me have a piece of him," Jack said and handed the collar back. "You should sleep."

The Master snorted. "Why, so you can get next to him?"

Jack didn't rise to the bait. "No, you're the only one who can control him. If he decides to run we're not fast enough or strong enough to stop him."

The Master let a humourless laugh. "If he decides to run, not even I could stop him. But you're right...I should sleep."

Jack stood. "My watch, try not to rile my team."

The Master flashed him a grin that would have been charming, if Jack didn't know him better.

The camp except for Jack fell back into sleep.

* * *

_He wanted to turn away from the horror he was seeing, but they didn't let him. He was held fast, his head painfully so._

_"You will watch," a voice hissed in his ear. "And you will submit to me and open the gateway or they will burn in a hell of my making."_

_"I can't," he said._

_"Cannot or will not," the voice said and the owner of the voice stepped in front of him._

_"Then they will suffer my fire."_

_"No!" he screamed._

_The screams that floated to his ears shattered his hearts and broke his soul._

_"Please...stop it...oh Rassilon don't...I'll serve you...I'll serve...please...stop it."_

_"Wise choice, Time Lord. But you must be punished for defying me."_

_At first he didn't feel it, he was too much in shock at what he had seen but then his mind was taken by something else and within seconds he was screaming as he felt like his blood was boiling._

* * *

The first wisps of smoke curled from under the blankets but it went unnoticed by the sleeping forms.

At first the blankets just smouldered and then caught light and flame began to lick at the material.

The fire spread unnaturally fast and it was the heat on his back that roused the Master and it was his shout of alarm that roused the others.

He scurried away from the flame until he realised it source and started to move towards it.

But he was stopped by the heat of the flames...it felt unnaturally hot and the flames burnt with a strange colour.

Then the frightened cry from behind the wall of flames overcame his natural fear of fire and before anyone could stop him, he leapt through the flames.

Mesis Tesri- White Coat

Ni'ala- Master

Eresh'ala- Doctor


	24. Chapter 24

_**Shortish chapter I know, but it seemed the right place to end it...**_

The Master landed awkwardly and for a few seconds lay winded. Another cry cut through the pain of landing, he scrambled up and was faced with the Doctor in the throes of a nightmare.

Flames were licking hungrily at his bedding and with a cry of alarm he grabbed the Doctor and dragged him away from the flames to the relative safety of the entrance to the tunnel that led to the warren of caves deeper inside the mountain.

The Doctor was still in the grips of whatever terror was haunting his dreams; he had to wake him up.

He put a hand on the Doctor's face and he pulled it away sharply with a hiss...Rassilon he was burning up. But he didn't have time to think about it; he had to get the Doctor awake and mobile.

Ignoring the heat he touched the Doctor's face again. "Eresh'ala, wake up!" he said urgently, but all he go in response was fear filled moan.

"Wake up, you idiot!" he cried and shook the Doctor.

He could hear the crackle of the flames and the urgent shouts of the others. He shut them out and placed his hands on the Doctor's temples...he had to wake him.

He let out a breath and forced his way into the Doctor's mind; his mind was a morass of anguish and terror.

He had to reach beyond the surface and the Doctor's emotions; it would be hard but it had to be done.

He spoke the Doctor's true name but got no response, with a growl he spoke his name and this time it was laced with panic and anger.

An answer came back this time, with such force that he was pushed out of the Doctor's mind.

The Doctor's eyes snapped open and the Master let out a relieved breath, but the relief only lasted for micro-second as the Doctor's eyes widened.

"No, no, no!" he cried and shrank away from the Master.

Was he still in the grip of the nightmare?

"Si'arila," he said.

The Doctor flinched at the Master's voice. "You're not real...you're not real," he whimpered.

"Doctor...come on!" he said but the Doctor moved further away.

The Master's temper flared and he lunged for the Doctor, but the Doctor was quicker than the Master and he missed him by a hair's breadth.

But it was enough and the Doctor was past him and into the tunnel.

The Master let out a cry of frustration and went after him.

* * *

Jack was standing the entrance to the tunnel, watching the snow drift in the wind; the snow would cover any tracks and any chance of tracking White Coat.

It wasn't something he was looking forward to telling the two Time Lords...well the Master anyway. He wasn't sure that the Doctor was mentally stable enough to tell him anything and that was another problem.

The Doctor had died, that he was certain of, the Master and the children's reactions had convinced him of that. But by some miracle he'd come back but he'd come back damaged, who knows what hell the Doctor had gone to and what White Coat had done that caused the Doctor to die...and for that White Coat was going to receive a violent death at the Master's hands and Jack would hold his coat whilst he did it.

The cry of alarm made him jump and he ran back down the tunnel and entered the cave just as the Master was leaping through the flames.

Then he was shifting boxes of supplies away from the flames and stamping out the remnants before he could think straight.

It was then that it became obvious that the two people that should be present were no longer there.

He let out a groan; there was only one place they could have gone.

He turned to Seska who was supporting his sister and asked. "Do you know these tunnels?"

Seska shook his head. "Like father said, only he and mother knew about them."

"I can track them," a small voice said; it was Ashena, the first time she'd spoken since the attack.

"No, sister," Seska said. "You should rest."

"No brother, you forget who I am...I'm the Huntress."

"Quite right," a voice said behind them and they all turned.

"You will track them...for me," White Coat said.


	25. Chapter 25

Jack struggled against his restraints as White Coat picked up the collar that the Master had discarded and walked towards Seska and Ashena, who were being held by some of his men.

"How delightful," White Coat said. "My property has been busy."

Seska spat insults in Gallifreyan at him; he may not have known who White Coat was, but he could tell he was a twisted soul.

White Coat smiled and grabbed hold of his chin. "You look very much like my property and you have its spirit...but not for long, hold him still."

He placed the collar round Seska's neck and stepped back and once again took out the control device.

"Don't you dare!" Jack yelled but was ignored as White Coat stepped back and took out the dreaded control box and twisted the dial savagely.

Seska fell to his knees with a scream of agony and remained there; his chest heaving as he tried to draw breath.

White Coat turned back to Ashena. "If you deceive me at any point, you will be minus a litter mate."

He then turned to Jack and the others. "You however are another matter."

"You're dead," Jack snarled.

White Coat raised an eyebrow. "Another threat, I'll add it to the list of your failed ones. I'm going to enjoy dissecting you, the man who cannot die...such potential profit. As for your compatriots, there's always a demand for salves."

He turned away then and focused on Ashena. "No more time wasting, move."

Ashena flinched and was pushed by one of White Coat's men and she stumbled towards the tunnel. Seska was hauled up and the whole party entered the tunnel.

* * *

The Master had to sprint to keep the Doctor in sight.

"Stop!" he called but to no avail. Without their bond he had no hope of stopping him; he could only chase him in the hope that he would tire.

He increased his speed again, closing the gap slightly and then his opportunity came when the Doctor stumbled.

With an extra surge of adrenalin he launched himself and caught the Doctor at waist level and brought him to the floor. If he expected the Doctor to submit, he was very wrong.

The Doctor let out a snarl and the Master found himself trying to avoid being bitten.

"Pajh istrai," he grunted as he managed to get a hold on the Doctor.

But the Doctor wasn't about to and the Master was forced to do something he didn't want to. He risked taking one hand away and found the spot he wanted and applied pressure.

The effects were instant and the Doctor went limp under him.

"Sorry...I had to," he said to the unconscious form, knowing that the Doctor would be in some discomfort when he came round.

Now all he had to do was find somewhere to rest in the warren of tunnels and caves; it was then that he realised he had no idea where they were.

He didn't recognise this section but they hadn't exactly had time to go spelunking. He spied an opening off to his right and he dragged the Doctor into it.

It opened into a large cave that glittered with crystals; not that he was interested.

He lay the Doctor down and sat back and let out a sigh of relief and finally had time to think.

Why had the Doctor reacted as he had? Surely he didn't see him as one of the monsters from his nightmare?

Yes, that nightmare; the same nightmare he'd been suffering since he'd woken from whatever he'd been in and the headaches. Were they causing the nightmares or were the nightmares causing the headaches?

After he'd retrieved his son, he would finish White Coat and the freak in one violent sweep. Then he would take the time to heal his husband and then they would blaze across the galaxies.

Rassilon he felt tired and he closed his eyes and was asleep in seconds and it seemed like seconds later he was startled awake by the feeling that his mind was on fire and the Doctor in the throes of another nightmare no not a nightmare, he was convulsing.

* * *

_He could feel the heat from the fires that raged around him. He looked over at the blackened spot and his stomach lurched; all he wanted to do was curl up and die and a tear rolled down his cheek_

_The monster that caused them tightened its grip on the mental leash that crushed his freedom._

_"Why the tears, I made sure they didn't suffer...well, not too much. You are better off without emotional attachments. You will eventually open the gateway and you will do it willingly...already your defences are failing and you will obey me."_

_He once again looked out at the scorched landscape and once more a tear escaped and then the pain __began again and this time he didn't fight and he began to burn._

* * *

The Master whipped off his jacket and placed it under the Doctor's head to stop it hitting the rock floor and then he could do nothing until he stopped convulsing. It seemed like a lifetime but he eventually stopped.

He reached out to put him in the recovery position and drew his hands back in shock...he was hot again.

The Doctor let out an awful gurgling breath and if the Master could believe it his skin was starting to glow.

He had to move back because the heat was becoming uncomfortable and he screwed up his eyes as the light from the glow was intensified by the crystal formations in the cave.

He jumped when the Doctor let out a cry that made his mind flinch and the glow became a flare of white light and the Doctor was lost inside it. He covered his face with his arms until he could see the light fade and the heat lessen.

He lowered his arms and was surprised to find the Doctor on his feet but he saw something he'd only seen once before, back on the TARDIS...and it wasn't good.

He flinched when a set of glowing eyes focused on him.

"Si'arila?"

A searing pain in his head brought him to his knees.

"Do not call me that...I do not belong to you anymore. I serve another now...the gateway will be opened and you will serve my new master."

* * *

Pajh istrai- stop it

Si'arila- beloved


	26. Chapter 26

Ashena stopped suddenly and put a hand against the wall as if steadying herself.

White Coat was next to her immediately. "Why have you stopped?"

Behind her Seska let out a groan and would have fallen to the floor if Ianto hadn't caught him.

"Move," White coat ordered but Ashena wasn't listening to him; her faced was lined with fear.

"Move or he will be punished," White Coat threatened.

Ashena shook her head and began backing down the tunnel, every inch a frightened young woman.

White Coat scowled and took out the control box but he was stopped by Jack who said. "Can't you see she'd frightened of something, we have no idea of what's in these tunnels."

White Coat seemed to consider Jack's words and put the device away. "Agreed...scout ahead," he said to two of his men. "We will wait."

* * *

Ianto helped Seska to the floor and wished he could take that god-awful collar of; he'd seen what it had done to the Doctor and he often wondered if it wasn't partly responsible for the Doctor's degeneration into insanity. You treat someone like an animal they will eventually become one.

Thankful at least that White Coat hadn't bound them he took out his water bottle and managed to get a mouthful past Seska's lips and thankfully he swallowed.

"I hope you don't hate humans...we're not all like him."

Seska looked up and said. "He's a monster."

"That's being unfair to monsters," Ianto replied. "But I see your point."

"He'll pay for this," Seska said and Ianto frowned...did he hear more than just anger in his voice, was there a little fear?

"Of course he'll pay...Jack won't let..." he began but was cut off by Seska.

"No not by Jack, but by what's coming."

"What do you mean what's coming?"

But Seska didn't reply; he was silent, head turned in the direction the two men had taken.

* * *

Gwen glared at White Coat's men as they pushed Ashena to the floor and put her arm around her, trying to protect her from the cold of the rock wall.

"You were frightened by something...what is it cariad?"

Ashena said nothing at first; she just shivered and looked over at her brother.

"Ashena, what frightened you?"

"Something's coming...something...something...," she fell silent and looked in the direction White Coat's men had gone.

* * *

The Master tried to get off his knees but it felt like a giant hand was holding him down.

"You will stay on your knees...my new master seek answers."

The Master's wilier instincts took over; ever looking for an advantage.

"Answers, I can give answers, if you let me up."

Whatever the Doctor was now looked at him and he felt like an insect trapped in a jar and he felt the weight disappear.

"What answers does your master want?"

"Where is the gateway?"

The Master frowned...the gateway?

"Where is the gateway?"

"The gateway?"

"You do not question, only answer. Where is the gateway?"

"Well, if I knew what the gateway was for..."

He found himself on his knees again and struggling for breath. "If you do not answer, you will die."

"No...wait," the Master choked out and the pressure on his throat lessened and he sucked in air.

"Then give my master the answer he requires."

"But I need to know and don't think I'm being obtuse...but I need to know what the gateway is for?"

The Doctor seemed to still for a minute and then he said. "To be free."

The Master frowned...that was helpful not, and then it came to him. "You mean a prison door?"

"It binds my master and those that follow him."

"Not a prison door...a barrier...between worlds then?"

"I must open the gateway, to set my master free."

The Master narrowed his eyes at that...whatever was controlling the Doctor needed a Time Lord...a temporal gateway and there was only one gateway that it could be.

He smiled then grinned. "I know where the gate is."

His grin faded slightly when the light in the Doctor's eye flared as what could only be described as a look of avarice crossed his face.

"Then show me."

The Master didn't move and the Doctor or whatever he was now glared at him. "We will go."

The Master plastered on his most charming smile. "What do I get if I help you?"

The way the Doctor looked at him made the Master very uncomfortable but he never got an answer to his question as the Doctor turned away from him.

"Someone approaches," and he moved from the cave out into the tunnel.

The Master, his morbid curiosity piqued followed.

* * *

The two men walked cautiously down the tunnel; their eyes not yet adjusted to the light.

"Just wander down a dark tunnel and see if there's anyone home," one of the men grumbled.

"Shut it," the other man said.

As they carried on in silence, the tunnel seemed to close in on them.

The man in front stopped suddenly. "I heard something."

"It's just you, there's nothing down here."

"No, there's something up ahead...I can feel it."

Enough," the other person said and then he stopped talking as he then saw something...a shadow...there couldn't be a person down here?

"Hello?" he said, not really expecting a response.

He did however get a response but not the one he expected.

If he could believe his eyes a pair glowing eyes appeared in the dark and he felt like worms were crawling inside his head.

He couldn't stop himself from falling to his knees as the tunnel became lighter and they saw the person they were expected to drag back to White Coat.

Then he heard a voice in his head.

"You have a new master now and you will serve only him...obey and live."

He heard his fellow soldier say something and then his compatriot began to scream and suddenly burst into flames which burnt with an unnatural intensity and within seconds he was a pile of ash.

Those hellish eyes then turned to him and said. "Obey and live."

The man nodded dumbly...better to be alive than the pile of ash next to him.

* * *

The Master stepped up next to the Doctor

"Well, that was impressive."

"Silence, this body may have been subservient to you but I am not...you will speak when directly spoken to."

The Master laughed. "I don't think so."

He soon realised that was a mistake as he found himself on his knees.

The Doctor's eyes glowed fiercely. "You are not my master...your reign is over Time Lord and my master's reign is just beginning and anyone that oppose him shall perish."


	27. Chapter 27

The faint echo of a scream made everyone look up.

"Sounds like they found something," Ianto said.

"I hope it tore them apart," Gwen said.

Jack looked at her but said nothing. He couldn't blame her...twenty years of fighting not just the Master but the one time champion of a now non-existent world. For a few hours there'd been hope, just a glimmer when they'd had the Doctor within their grasp...but the arrival of White Coat and his callous treatment of the Doctor had ripped that away.

Now Jack knew they could be fighting on two fronts, but for him it meant he'd lost his chance to get the Doctor away from the Master and the consequences of that would haunt him for eternity; he had the awful task now of making three young Time Lords parentless and for that he would be eternally damned.

His thoughts were interrupted by White Coat's men rousting them into standing.

"Seems they found my property," White Coat said. "How fortunate that I have more than enough collars. Put one on her."

Ashena didn't even struggle and she was pushed forward to join her brother.

White Coat looked them over. "I have your younger sibling, soon I will have your parents and I will have myself the perfect weapons."

Jack let out a short laugh and White Coat turned to face him.

"Something amusing you Captain?"

"Perfect weapons, do you think you can control them forever with those?"

"Training eventually tames even the wildest creatures, observe," White Coat said and took out the control box and his hand hovered over the dials.

Jack looked over at Seska and Ashena and he saw Seska back away and Ashena flinched.

"Lesson learned, I believe," White Coat said. "Now, shall we proceed?"

Jack shook his head and started walking; as he passed Gwen he heard her mutter. "Doesn't believe in a mother's protective instinct then?"

* * *

The Master hadn't been happy about having the soldier with them; he didn't need a potential informer. So he disposed of him as soon as possible, not that the Doctor or whatever he was noticed...or so he thought.

"You enjoy the violence...the kill. You are not like other Time Lords."

The Master took that in...so, whoever controlled the Doctor knew about Time Lords; not a new race then. If he could find out who they were, he could use it to his advantage.

"It's a lot like killing an ant, I suppose, they don't feel it."

"Perhaps, but you are not entirely heartless. You have an emotional attachment to this body."

"Oh, he's pretty, but that's just sex."

The Doctor stopped. "You cannot lie to me. I know what this body knows. This body has born your offspring and that is more than just sex."

"Not now, like you said, he's not mine anymore."

"That can be discussed...my master is not without compassion. Sometimes a velvet glove is better than an iron gauntlet."

The Master frowned, not sure what to make of that comment.

Whatever was speaking through the Doctor continued.

"You desire for this body is not just physical. Serve him well Time Lord and this body will be yours once more...for a short time at least."

The Master, who was too suspicious to trust anything, snorted in derision.

"You need proof?"

The Doctor went very still and the light faded from his eyes. He would have hit the floor if the Master hadn't caught him.

The Master felt the shiver run through the Doctor's body and then he was looking to eyes he thought he would never see again...and those eyes were full of lust and the Master found himself on the floor of the tunnel and an aroused Doctor on top of him.

He was just starting to react when he caught a flash of light in the Doctor's eyes and he let out a cry of disgust, and pushed the Doctor off him and the light returned to the Doctor's eyes.

"Not into voyeurism," he snarled.

The Doctor smiled...well whatever inhabited the Doctor smiled. "Fair enough, then take me to the gateway."

The Master straightened his clothes and let out a breath and started walking.

Eventually they came to a section he recognised and he knew this was the way to the machine they had used to change the Earth.

"How far to the gateway?" the Doctor asked.

"Down this tunnel," the Master replied, but he smiled inside; finally he had the advantage.

Whatever controlled the Doctor didn't know the machine needed the Doctor to operate it...a Doctor that wasn't under the control of another. The machine needed a pure Time Lord; specifically one Time Lord and then whatever it was would learn who was the Master.

* * *

Jack and the others tried to keep close to Seska and Ashena and they did their best to slow the pace.

But eventually a shout went up when one of White Coat's men found a body and another tunnel.

White Coat let out an annoyed breath. "This is getting tedious, enough playing catch-up. Now do your job and hunt them down."

The soldier he was talking to nodded and gestured to the others.

Jack's eyes widened in surprise when the men began to change shape and then they widened with horror when he realised what they were.

The tunnel was suddenly filled with snarls and hisses and Jack couldn't stop the shiver that ran down his spine.


	28. Chapter 28

The Master stepped out of the tunnel and looked down at the building that housed the machine. It had been twenty years since that day and the Master had moved the whole structure here, out of the sight of the Doctor.

There were way too many painful memories associated with that place; not that the thing that was now the Doctor would feel anything.

That day was burnt into his soul and he would carry it until his final regeneration. He thought he'd never hear that almost animalistic howl of grief come from the Doctor ever again; once had been enough.

The days following Tejhan's death had been chaotic and bloody and violent.

Gallifrey's birth pangs had carried on for days and humans had died in their millions as their planet slowly disappeared.

The Master didn't care how many died; he had a mate torn apart by grief and a young child to care for...so he let the Earth die.

However, it hadn't taken long for humans to show their true colours and soon those that didn't want to lose their power and wealth turned to him and soon he began taking control.

Then the Doctor had snapped out of his grief and he could only stand in admiration as his mate burnt his way across the planet in grief fuelled vengeance.

For six months the humans lived in mortal terror of their one time champion and little Ashena was right alongside him, learning what the true rage of a Time Lord meant.

But all of that was now lost as he looked at the creature standing next to him.

"The gateway is there?" the Doctor said, not a flicker of emotion on his face.

"You don't recognise this place?"

The Doctor looked down at the building and then at the Master. "This body knows of it but it means nothing to me. Grief and sorrow are weakness and there is no place for weakness in my master's world."

It seemed the conversation was over as the Doctor began climbing down the slope and the Master had to follow. He stopped for a second when he thought he heard something in the tunnel but a mental pull from the Doctor up ahead forced him to leave it and keep following.

* * *

White Coat moved next to Jack and acted like they were the best of friends.

"Do you like the improved version of the pack...so much easier to get through customs."

"I hope it bites you in the ass."

"Your eloquence is slipping captain. I learnt a lot from the sample I extracted from my property."

"Extracted," Jack snarled. He knew exactly what White Coat meant. "You butchered him and murdered his unborn child."

"Butchery...hardly...vivisection maybe...you can't butcher a lab rat."

Jack didn't reply; if he did his temper would win out and someone else would suffer for it.

"No comment, wise decision," White Coat said. "But I thought you would be glad to be rid of my property, its mate and its offspring."

Jack did say something then. "I'd rather face them and die than let you have them."

"My dear captain, it has been mine from the time I saw it in that laboratory in Gen-Med. It was clearly deluded if it thought it had any freedom, it would always come back to me."

Anymore conversation was halted when one of the pack appeared and morphed back into a human.

"The tunnel ends about a mile ahead, there's a warehouse of some kind at the bottom of a huge cave. They're scent leads straight to it."

White Coat nodded. "Then let us retrieve my property."

Jack looked at the others and he knew they were thinking the same as him; this was going to get violent and bloody.

* * *

The Master stopped when the Doctor hesitated at the door of the building and for a second the light seemed to dim in his eyes.

Was there still some of the Doctor inside? Were the memories of that day too strong to be erased by whatever had a hold on him?"

"You remember, don't you?"

"I..."

The light suddenly died in the Doctor's eyes and he stepped away from the door; the first signs of emotions etched on his face that the Master had seen since whatever it was had shown itself.

He turned to the Master and when he spoke it was the Doctor speaking.

"Not here...please...Tejhan."

The Master moved closer. "That's it, fight it...it's not your master."

He moved a little closer and said softly. "You know who your master is...Si'arila."

He stepped back suddenly as the light flared in the Doctor's eyes.

"The gateway, now...Time Lord," he hissed; it was back in control.

The Master shelved the small victory away, knowing that the closer they got to the machine the more it was exude its influence and whatever was in charge now would have a very rude awakening.

He punched the code into the locking panel and the door opened with a hiss and a rush of stale air ruffled both of their hair.

The Doctor stepped in first and he stopped again and drew in a breath. "I can smell it...the gateway. My master will soon be free."

"Don't be so sure," the Master muttered and followed the Doctor into the building

Neither he nor the Doctor noticed the group of skittering figures move towards the door, nor did they see the group of people emerging from the tunnel.

* * *

White Coat stopped the party and looked down at the building and gestured for Ashena and Seska to be brought forward.

"That place, what is it?"

Ashena looked at Seska who shook his head.

"You might as well tell me and save yourselves any unnecessary pain."

Both of them said nothing and White Coat scowled. He took out the control box and twisted the dial savagely.

The pair's screams echoed around the cavern.

A trio of shouts made White Coat take his hand of the dial and Jack and the others were shoved forwards.

"Stop it!" Gwen cried.

"Bastard!" Ianto added.

"Stop it...I'll tell you what's in there!" Jack yelled.

White Coat narrowed his eyes and then put the device away and Ianto and Gwen hurried to help the two.

"Well?" White Coat said.

"There's a machine inside...they used it to change the Earth."

White Coat looked down at the building. "Interesting...they would have had to manipulate the Vortex...of course, a temporal manipulator."

He looked at Jack who seemed surprised that he knew what it was. "Surprised captain, I've learnt a lot from my erstwhile jailers ...they were very knowledgeable. But I digress...enough chatter."

He turned away then and began descending and they were pushed along and Ashena and Seska were dragged as they followed him.

Gwen whispered to Jack. "We can't let him get hold of that machine."

"How do we stop him?" Ianto said.

"The machine needs a key...destroy the key and it won't work," Jack replied.

"We don't know where or what the key is," Ianto said.

Jack said nothing in reply...he knew where and what the key was and it would be his fate to destroy it.

They fell into silence as the group were joined by the pack, which had reverted to human form and they entered the building.

* * *

The Master could feel the power from the machine as they entered the room it was housed in.

He repressed a shiver as he crossed over the spot where his son had died. He looked over at the Doctor but there was nothing, just the light from his eyes glowing brighter in the semi-darkness.

The Doctor walked up to the machine and caressed it like it was a long lost lover. "The gateway," he sighed.

Before the Master could speak he stepped into the machine and placed a hand on either side of the framework.

"You will be free...my master."

The Master moved then and stood in front of him. "It won't work...not for you."

The Doctor looked at him and smiled...not a nice smile...a smile that promised nothing but ill.

"The machine needs a key and this body is the key...my master shall be free."

The Master jumped when the whine of the generator filled the air and the machine began to crackle with energy.

"No...it's not possible," he breathed and started to back away but stopped when he felt something press into his spine.

"Whatever you are doing, you will stop this right now," a voice that he'd last heard before the owner of it killed him.

He was about to snarl a reply when the whole room shook and the machine burst into life.

He turned sharply and found himself facing White Coat, who was still pointing his weapon at him.

"Stop this...stop this now!" he ordered.

The Master turned back to the machine and looked at the Doctor as green tendrils started to lick at his body.

"I can't, even if I wanted to...I'm not in control...he is!"

"Then I'll do it myself," White Coat snarled and aimed his gun at the Doctor.

"No!" the Master cried but his lunge was too late and the bullet sped towards the machine.

But it never reached its target; it dropped like it was made of iron not lead.

"Foolish human!" the Doctor spat, his eyes glowing even brighter.

A deep rumble filled the air and the skylight shattered and rained down on the group who scattered to avoid impalement.

The Master ran to one of the screens and his eyes widened in horror at what he saw. He turned back to the machine and the Doctor.

"No, what have you done!"

The Doctor grinned. "My master...he comes."


	29. Chapter 29

_That awful day we learnt a painful lesson...that there are some boxes that should never be opened as you may never be able to shut them again._

_Not that we didn't know that already._

_But that day has left scars that may never heal...but perhaps that's as it should be._

_If you forget...you will only repeat the same mistakes again._

_Ianto Jones_

* * *

The whole building was shaking and pieces of the ceiling were starting to fall...not that anyone was taking notice; they were all busy holding on to anything that seemed solid as the floor shook with the power of the machine.

Except for White Coat, who in his hubris was still trying to command the Doctor.

"You will stop or I will hurt your young!"

The Doctor or whatever he was now looked at White Coat and said in a cold tone. "You do not control this body anymore. I obey only one master and he will soon be free. Then you will know a new master and you will obey him."

White Coat let out a snarl and took out the device but it sparked and it flew from his hand.

"You will cause no more pain...only my master shall give out punishment."

White Coat looked at the device and then back at the Doctor and then he turned and ran.

"Run as far as you want, my master will always find you," the Doctor called after him.

Another surge of power ran through him and he let out what could only be described as a moan of pure ecstasy.

"My master...he comes."

* * *

The Master tore his eyes away from the screen when he heard the Doctor...this couldn't be...it wasn't possible.

Even he wouldn't go this far...this had to stop, before it was too late and his hearts were torn as to the act he would have to commit to stop it.

But first he had to make sure his children were safe and for that he would have to trust Jack Harkness.

He stumbled across the unstable floor and managed to grab hold of Jack. He had to shout to make himself heard.

"You have to go!"

"What?" Jack yelled.

"You have to go...take the children with you...find my son!"

He pressed something into Jack's hand and turned away, holding the blade he'd slipped from Jack's coat.

* * *

Jack held onto the nearest solid object as the room shook, but his eyes were fixed on the Doctor inside the machine and that awful sense of déjà-vu ran through him...another nightmare was unfolding and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

He almost laughed when White Coat tried to command the Doctor...hubris in its extreme...you might as well try and control a god...because that was what the Doctor looked like.

The words between White Coat and him were meaningless and he could do nothing when White Coat ran.

The moan that came from the Doctor would have been highly erotic at any other time but now it seemed perverse as whatever the Doctor called his master did something to him.

Then the Master was in his face and shouting something.

"What?" he yelled and then he heard him say. "You have to go...take my children...find my son."

He felt something being pressed into his hand and he looked down...it was White Coat's control box.

The Master turned away and then he saw the glint of metal...his blade...the Master, he was going to...no!

He was torn between saving the others and stopping the Master; he knew with increasing fear what the Master was intending to do.

In the end the choice was simple and he yelled at Ianto and Gwen.

"Get out...get the kids out!" he yelled.

Ianto shook his head and managed to make it over to Jack.

"I'm not leaving you!"

Jack grabbed hold of Ianto's hand but said nothing just placed a small box in his hand...the control device.

* * *

Ianto looked into Jack's eyes and he felt an overwhelming sadness overcome him...Jack wasn't coming with them.

He suddenly leaned in and kissed Jack and then turned away and yelled at Gwen. "Grab her and run!"

He didn't give her time to argue; he grabbed Seska and began pulling him along and Gwen reluctantly followed.

They emerged from the shaking building and onto no safer ground.

He heard Gwen gasp. "Dear god!"

He turned and in front of him was a swirling mass of red and black and whatever it was, it was growing.

He didn't know what it was but every fibre of his body was telling him to run.

He grabbed hold of Seska again and started running...he really needed to take that collar off but now wasn't the time.

He could hear Gwen behind him, her language was colourful but she was following and the further they got from the swirling vortex the better it felt.

They didn't stop running until they reached the tunnel and they collapsed to the floor. It was only then that Ianto looked at the device in his hand.

It wasn't hard to work out the controls and with a twist of a dial the collars locks undid and Gwen removed them and threw them away into the dark with a look of disgust.

"We have to go back."

"No...Jack's orders..."

"Screw Jack's orders."

Ianto looked at her. "Damn you," he said.

He crouched down in front of a still dazed Seska. "Look after your sister...we'll be back soon."

With that he stood and he and Gwen ran out of the tunnel and into an uncertain fate.

* * *

Seska's world had been one of intense pain and then a nagging pain like needles in your brain.

He was vaguely aware of what was going on around him, but it was like he was looking at it from far away.

Then reality came rushing back with painful clarity and in front of him was General Ianto Jones telling him to look after his sister.

By the time he could marshal a reply he was gone and he was left alone in the dark with his sister.

He panicked slightly until he put his hand to his neck and found the cursed collar gone and when his eyes adjusted to the dark, he could see that Ashena's was gone as well.

However, she was still out of it, the trauma of the last eighteen hours taking their toll...guess it was up to him then...time to be the Time Lord he was expected to be.

He took hold of Ashena by her shoulders and shook her hard until her eyes focused on him.

"Enough of this...you are the daughter of the Lords of the house of Prydon. We do not cower at the acts of mere humans. We cannot help our parents but we can find and save our brother. You are the Huntress, use your skills for the right reason!"

At first his words got no reaction but then he could see the light come back to her eyes...a predatory light and she got to her feet.

"Come brother...let us show this man in the white coat who the real masters are."

* * *

The Master knew that Jack would know what he intended to do only seconds after he walked away.

But seconds was all he needed and he flicked a switch on a panel as he walked towards the machine.

Until he's seen what was on the screen he'd been tempted to go along with whatever this was; shared power was better than none. That was until he saw what was forming outside.

He'd seen that swirling red and black mass once before, and that was on an ancient holo-vid.

He knew what it was, every Time Lord knew what it was and every Time Lord knew what it meant. It was a weapon of their making, created when the Time Lords were at war with the creatures of the Dark Times.

A weapon that became too powerful, one that was contained at the cost of so many, and now the Time Lords were gone...he would have laughed at the irony of the person who had destroyed the jailers becoming the means to free it.

But now was not the time for laughter, not when...

* * *

Jack had taken as many seconds as he could, just enough to see Ianto and Gwen drag the young Time Lords away.

Now he had to stop the Master.

He moved quickly but was stopped when he bounced off an invisible wall...an energy barrier. He could see the Master advancing on the machine and the Doctor.

"No!" he yelled and beat his fist against the barrier. "Master...stop!"

The Master shook his head.

"Master, don't...please!"

* * *

The Master could hear the crackle of the barrier as Jack hit it, and although his words were muffled, he knew what he would be yelling.

He shook his head and shivered as he walked through the machine's protective shield and stopped a few paces from the machine.

The Doctor was now wreathed in the energy from the vortex; he didn't have long.

Sun bright eyes fixed themselves on him.

"Too late, Time Lord, the gateway is already open."

"Oh, I know. I only want to serve your master."

He stepped back a few paces when the Doctor stepped out of the machine, the green tendrils coiled round him like serpents.

"You do so willingly?"

Absolutely," the Master lied.

"To serve, you must change."

"Whatever it takes, I assume it's going to hurt."

"The process can be made pleasurable. This body is not...unattractive. It would ease the pain."

"Not a bad way to go, I suppose."

The Master tried not to flinch when fire lit eyes bored into his, seeking untruth.

"This body desires you...it would be interesting to experience desire."

The Master repressed a shudder; the last thing he felt was desire. But he had to pretend and allowed the physical form of the Doctor to draw him closer and kiss him.

It felt like kissing cold marble; there was no passion in those lips...time to do this. He deepened the kiss and slowly moved the blade from behind his back.

He pulled back, just enough to make the Doctor lean forward and he struck...but he wasn't quick enough and the Doctor grabbed his wrist.

"Not fast enough, Time Lord," he hissed and his eyes flashed even brighter.

"You think," the Master snarled and struck with his own blade.

The Doctor jerked backwards and the creature let out a hiss but seemed unaffected by the blade buried in the Doctor's shoulder.

"You cannot kill me," it hissed.

"Maybe," the Master said as the Doctor suddenly fell to his knees. "But you've forgotten one important thing."

The light in the Doctor' eyes flickered and then went out and the Master was now looking into the eyes of his lover and the mother of his children...and they were full of fear and something else...he knew...the Doctor had seen and felt everything.

"Do it," the Doctor hissed.

The Master moved even closer and knelt down right in front of the stricken Time Lord...he hesitated.

The light began to flicker in the Doctor's eyes once more.

"Ni'ala...please!"

The Master steeled himself and grabbed hold of the hilt of the blade and ripped it out, flinching at the cry of agony it elicited.

"I'm sorry Si'arila," he whispered and raised the bloody blade and plunged it into the Doctor's right heart.

* * *

Ni'ala- Master

Si'arila- beloved.


	30. Chapter 30

_**Will reply to your reviews but it might be a few days as real life is calling...**_

"No!" Jack screamed as he saw the Master raise the knife and his heart lurched when the blade was driven into the Doctor's chest.

"You murdering bastard...I'll kill you!" he roared and made a futile attempt at breaking through the barrier.

He finally gave up as rage was overtaken by grief and he sank to the floor.

He wished he'd never trusted the Master; should never have believed that there were real feelings beneath that smile.

The Doctor was dead or dying and he would regenerate and be killed again. He suddenly felt every minute of his age and wished Rose hadn't gifted him the curse of immortality.

* * *

He'd been trapped in hell and could do nothing as the creature invaded his body in a blaze of heat and pain.

As it flooded every cell, he knew he was lost...lost to something that should have died when he'd burnt worlds.

He felt the power of the Vortex flow through him and he felt the unfettered glee of the creature as it used him to open the temporal prison. Now he knew his fate was sealed; there was only one way to end it.

But it would never end...how could it when he couldn't tell anyone.

He tried to fight it as it used his body to tempt the Master...oh my Inari, I wish you could see what I could see.

Then pain had flared through his body and by some miracle the creature was forced back and his consciousness flooded back.

More pain flooded his already over sensitive nerves, but it felt wonderful...it felt real.

Now he could.

But he didn't need to, he could see it in the Master's eyes...he knew.

"Finish it," he said.

He saw the Master was hesitating and he could feel the creature reasserting itself.

"Do it," he hissed.

He heard the Master whisper. "I'm sorry, Si'arila" and then his world became pure agony.

* * *

The Master felt the blade hit flesh and slide between ribs and hit the heart.

The Doctor convulsed under his hand, but all the time their eyes were locked and he saw life start to fade from the Doctor's eyes

But he knew it wasn't over, he had to deliver the killer blow, the one that would drive whatever was inside the Doctor out...the one that would kill the only other child of old Gallifrey.

He wasn't sure he could do it. He had to go and fall in love and have children.

"Inari," a voice broke through his paralysis.

He blinked, the Doctor was still conscious.

"You have...to finish it."

The Doctor's voice was faint and there was the unmistakeable rattle of blood-filled lungs.

"Irlia tisah," he replied.

The Doctor managed to grab hold of the Master's blood slicked hand.

"Mirah...ses isha...rasi mah...kresha ist."

The Master shook his head and the Doctor arched into another convulsion and the light began to flicker in his eyes again.

The Master was torn, logic said he should, but his hearts refused.

The Doctor suddenly stilled and tightened his hold on the Master's hand.

"Ses isha..." he said faintly and the Master let out a cry as with strength from somewhere the Doctor twisted his hand and the knife and tore the blade from his own chest.

The Master was thrown back by a burst of energy and landed a few feet away.

* * *

He fought his way through the agony and knew that the Master had done what had to be done...but he hadn't completed it...why?

"Inari...you have...to finish it."

"I can't," the Master said.

He reached for and grabbed the Master's hand, felt the warmth of his own blood on it.

"Please...if you...love me...finish it," he said with great effort.

The Master shook his head...the idiot was letting feelings get in the way. He felt himself slipping again and he could feel the creature clawing its way back.

If the Master wouldn't finish it, then he would do it himself.

Gathering what strength he had he tightened his hold on the Master's hand and twisted it and the blade and tore it from his chest.

He convulsed as a surge of power went through him and he felt more that saw the Master being thrown clear...good...now to finish this.

The pain was excruciating but at least he knew he was still in control.

With supreme effort he got to his knees...he had to get to the... a wave of heat passed through him...the creature!

"No...not this time," he said through gritted teeth and using one of the control panels hauled himself up, not bothering to stifle the cry as pain shot through his chest.

He paid no heed to the steady trickle of blood that had now soaked his clothes and was dripping on the floor.

"Move!" he yelled at himself and took no more than three steps when his legs gave way and he felt a tiny flutter in his one good heart...time was running out; he needed to be alive to die.

He let out a laugh at the absurd notion and once again struggled to his feet, dizzy now from blood loss and lack of oxygen.

He took another few steps and fell again, hard this time and cracked his head against the floor.

"Se'vaha hesh mah!" he cried and this time he didn't bother to get to his feet; he began to crawl on his hands and knees, back towards the machine.

He was within grabbing distance of the machine when he heard.

"No," he said as a roar filled the air and then...they were free!

He reached out for the machine and the roof fell on him.

* * *

Ianto and Gwen scampered down the slope, one eye of the precarious ground and the other on the swirling mass that had grown till it was almost as wide as the cavern.

They had just reached the bottom of the slope when the roar filled the air and they stopped and looked at the swirling vortex.

They both backed away when something emerged...it was huge as in Abbadon huge, but there attention was taken by what followed it...not a creature but what looked like soldiers.

Ianto felt himself pulled down behind a rock...Gwen.

"That is not good," she said as the sound of thousands of marching feet filled the air.

The huge creature that had come through first let out another roar and turned towards the building.

It took two giant strides and raised an arm and brought it crashing down on the roof.

"No!" Ianto yelled before Gwen could silence him and thousands of figures turned towards the rock they were hidden behind.

Snarls and growls filled the air and at least a dozen figures broke ranks and they had no choice but to stand.

One of the figures let out a set of snarls and guttural sounds and they tried not to recoil at the stench.

The thing was at least eight feet tall, all teeth and had what looked like metal spikes protruded from beneath its helmet.

The figure repeated the same sounds and when it didn't get the reply it wanted it raised the huge sword it was carrying and swept it down towards Ianto.

* * *

Irlia tisah- I can't

Mirah ses isha rasi mah kresha ist- Please if you love me, finish it

Ses isha- if you

Se'vaha hesh mah- spirits help me

Inari- Beloved


	31. Chapter 31

**_Something even worse is coming..._**

Jack was shaken from his grief-stricken stupor first by the roar that echoed round the room and then the roof collapsing...not on him as the barrier did its job of keeping him out and keeping the debris in.

He got to his feet and could only stare at the rubble that now covered the machine and had also buried the Master and the Doctor.

He didn't care one jot about the Master; the roof collapse had saved him the job of killing him

But the Doctor, that he did regret.

Perhaps it was for the best, at the end the Doctor was at the best deluded if not clinically insane, driven to it by White Coat and everything else that had happened. Jack could have helped the Doctor; he was sure he could...that was until the Master came onto the scene and twisted the Doctor's already unsteady psyche even more.

Even then he still thought he could help him if he got him away from the Master...then he'd gotten pregnant, lost one child in god awful circumstances and from then on it was inevitable and now even he didn't think he could help the Doctor.

There was nothing he could now; the rubble would become the resting place of the last remnants of a world that had been long dead.

The sound of marching filled the air and Jack knew he had to go...whatever was outside was the new threat now.

He turned away from the barrier, away from what was now a grave. As he headed for the door the barrier began to crackle...of course, the roof collapse would have severely damaged or broken the controls.

He turned back just as the barrier shimmered and disappeared.

He was caught by indecision; should he try and retrieve the bodies so he could give them a half decent burial or did he leave them and face what was outside?

The decision was made for him by another roar from outside.

"I'm sorry," he said to the pile of rubble and turned away, and this time he kept on walking.

He jogged along the huge warehouse that housed the now dead generators that had powered the machine.

As he got closer to the doors he could hear not just marching but snarls and growls. He ducked down and crawled over to the only window and looked out.

"Right," he said. "Only one thing for it."

He stood, plastered a smile on his face and stepped out.

* * *

Ianto was sure he was going to die and he looked away from the blade that was descending.

But the blow never came and he dared himself to look.

His would be executioner seemed to be engaged in an argument with a fellow soldier...well he guessed it was an argument.

The other creature seemed to be its superior; he had a red crest on his helmet and that arrogant attitude that came with authority.

They snarled and growled at each other but then the one without the crest fell silent and sheathed his sword and bowed.

His superior turned to the group that were holding him and Gwen and let out a short bark and the soldiers began shoving them forward.

Were they being taking to the huge creature; surely that couldn't be their leader, Ianto thought.

Then they were past it and being shoved through the ranks of the creatures.

Ianto could see then that this was not just snarling beasts; there was an order to them. They all wore armour and carried those huge swords and some carried spears and others rode what looked like a hyena crossed with a lion.

He saw flashes of colour everywhere...where they identification as to what rank or unit they belonged to?

This was an organised army, not an undisciplined horde.

They were shoved towards a large canopy under which a group of figures were standing round a table. They turned when he and Gwen were shoved in.

They looked different to the other, smaller, more human looking, but they still spoke in the snarls and growls of their larger compatriots; yet the larger soldiers showed deference to them...even a little fearful.

These then were the ones in charge.

One of the group stepped forward and grabbed Gwen by her hair and pulled her forward and looked into her eyes and a few moments later let out a growl. Then it did the same to Ianto and growled once again.

It turned to the creature that had stopped his executioner and let out a stream of snarls and growls and it sounded annoyed.

There was a commotion outside the canopy and the ranks parted and both Ianto and Gwen's eyes widened in shock.

"Hi guys...did you miss me?" Jack said.

* * *

The one who seemed to be the leader barked out an order and Jack was dragged forward and his head yanked back and the leader looked into his eyes.

Then it surprised all three by speaking in perfect English.

"You are not Time Lords. Where is the Time Lord?"

Jack answered." What's a Time Lord?"

The leader snarled and hauled Jack closer. "Do not lie."

Jack knew they was no point in lying...this thing seemed to smell lie.

"Try hell, they all burnt."

The one that seemed to be the leader let out what appeared to be a laugh. "It is not wise to test me. Where is the Time Lord that belongs to my Lord?"

Now Jack knew he didn't need to lie. "Try under the rubble of that building your little pet demolished."

The leader barked out orders and a group of soldiers broke rank and ran off in the direction of the ruined building.

"He's dead you know," Jack said.

The leader leaned closer and whispered in Jack's ear. "Death is no escape from My Lord."

* * *

They were then chained to each other and made to sit just outside the canopy.

"Why didn't you follow orders?" Jack said.

"Did you really think we would?" Gwen replied.

"Guess not, but we will be discussing it."

Ianto laughed." You think we're getting out of this?"

"Nothing like a sense of optimism," Jack said.

Anymore conversation was lost in the sound of things being moved as the giant creature began to shift rubble.

"Is he really dead?" Ianto said.

Jack nodded. "He was dead before the roof fell...the Master." He hesitated before speaking again. "The Master, he murdered him."

"What, why would he do that?"

"Because he's the Master!" Jack spat.

They fell silent as the creature moved more rubble until Ianto said.

"What did it mean death is no escape?"

* * *

There was a sudden flurry of activity and the air was filled with howls and snarls.

The soldiers around the canopy parted and four soldiers entered carrying two broken and bloodied bodies.

They were barely recognisable as the Doctor and the Master and Jack had to fight to keep his stomach where it was.

Both bodies were laid on the table that had been cleared.

The crowd parted again and another of the creatures appeared, this one wasn't dressed in armour and it appeared much older than the others, there was a sprinkling of grey in its fur.

It spoke to the man in charge who bowed and backed away; whoever this was, they must be very powerful.

The elderly creature looked at the Master's body and said. "Sis Ra," and the crowd murmured.

Then he moved to the Doctor and laid a hand on his forehead. "Sis Ra, Sorsha."

The crowd let out snarls and growls and the elderly creature held up its hand and silence fell.

It produced a small bottle and gestured to the leader who opened the Doctor's mouth and he allowed a few drops to fall in.

Nothing happened and the trio wondered what the point was and then the Doctor's body began to convulse.

The convulsion seemed to go on forever but eventually it stopped and the elderly creature was muttering in the same language he'd used before.

Jack and the others jumped and stopped breathing when the Doctor took in a huge breath.

The elderly creature moved forward and touched the Doctor's forehead again and then the screaming began.


	32. Chapter 32

_And so it begins..._

_That day we saw the dead rise was burnt into all our memories...so much happened on that day...a loss and a sacrifice that left one soul so broken we thought it would never mend and something precious was taken by the worst of humanity._

_I sometimes wish I had the gift of foresight because some surprises are good and some...still you don't want to know what I wish._

_What is history is history and what is happening now, will happen. I can only hope that when you have read this tale of power and love and loss, you will understand why he did what he did...why he abandoned us...why we abandoned you._

_General Jack Harkness (Former Commander-in-Chief)_

* * *

The screaming turned to a god awful screech; an inhuman screech and the Doctor began to glow and then a flash of golden light engulfed the Doctor and the Master.

The elderly creature and the crowd stepped back, but Jack and the others had to shield their eyes...was the Doctor regenerating?

Jack knew it wasn't, it didn't feel like regeneration. He'd been close enough to the Doctor during his not-quite regeneration...no, this felt like the same thing he'd felt on the mountain, and that wasn't good.

The screech died as did the light and when it receded both the Doctor and the Master had not one mark one on them.

There was silence and what felt like an air of expectation as both Time Lords began to stir.

It was the Doctor who was the first to rise and the elderly creature stepped forward and bowed, followed by the leader and the rest of the group.

A few seconds later the Master rose and the group did the same.

The Doctor turned to the Master and Jack and the others saw that the Doctor's eyes were glowing...whatever had taken him over hadn't died when he did.

The Doctor said something to the Master but in a language the others didn't understand but it didn't sound like Gallifreyan.

Jack tried to hide his surprise when the Master bowed and turned away and he saw that the Master's eyes were glowing to.

"Sorsha, es rai!" he shouted and the cave filled with the cry of "Sorsha!" and then a whole army went to its knees as the Doctor stepped out from under the canopy and stood before them.

The Doctor or whatever he was gestured with his hand and the army rose. "Sisha!"

Another roar filled the cavern and the soldiers began to disperse.

The Doctor turned back to the Master who bowed his head once more.

The Doctor said something and the Master straightened and the Doctor moved closer and put a hand on the Master's cheek and said.

"You do not need to bow to me."

They both then turned their attention to the group of soldiers and the elderly creature.

"You have done well in keeping my army together, our prison was not...kind."

"My Lord," the leader said and put a hand to its chest. "We await your orders."

"Send out scouts, I wish to know what enemies I have to face."

The leader saluted again and barked out a few snarls.

"What of the prisoners, my Lord?"

The Master instead of the Doctor looked over at the trio. "Do not kill them...my Lord wishes to question them. You have quarters?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Then we shall retire there, bring that one," he said, pointing at Jack.

The leader saluted and Jack was unchained from the others and dragged along by two soldiers, following the Doctor and the Master.

* * *

The leader's quarters were a large tent not far from the canopy and Jack was dragged in by the soldiers and forced to his knees by the leader.

He was ignored for a few minutes whilst the Doctor and the Master...well whatever now possessed them, talked softly in one corner.

Eventually the Doctor moved over to Jack and said to the leader and the soldiers. "Leave us."

The trio saluted and moved to stand outside the tent.

The Doctor turned his attention to Jack. "I am Sorsha, Lord of the Horde of Sevra."

"I'm supposed to be impressed by that," Jack retorted.

A blow to his head from the Master made him reel backwards.

The Doctor...no, the thing called Sorsha Jack corrected himself, snarled at the Master.

"Sisai, I will punish!"

The Master or whoever this Sisai was actually flinched, the first time that Jack had seen the Master flinch and bowed his head.

"I'm sorry, My Lord, but he shows no respect."

Sorsha nodded and moved closer to Jack. "I forgive you your ignorance this one time. This body knows you...oh, you are immortal. I wondered what that stink was, you reek of time. Perhaps you need a lesson on the history of our creation."

Sorsha grabbed hold of Jack's head. "See what our creators were capable of."

What seemed an eternity later, he let go of Jack's head and Jack could only stare at him in horror.

"Enough history...this Time Lord has given birth. Where are his children?"

* * *

Ashena and Seska were moving at what Seska called Ashena's hunting pace; no problem for another Time Lord but to whoever was being hunted it was.

They had already run down and killed several of the creatures that the man in the white coat had brought with him.

At first Seska found it distasteful but after his second kill he realised it felt good...now they were after their main prey...the man in the white coat.

"When we find him, you can have first blood, to avenge what he did to our mother," Ashena said and handed him one of her blades.

He hesitated. "Ashena, this is one of your naming day gifts. Mother gave them to you."

"Yes and I give one to you. You have made two kills, but you should have a better weapon than a human blade. This man in the white coat should be bloodied by a Gallifreyan blade."

Seska took the blade, the Serasion alloy glinted in the sunlight, the whirls and pattern of their language engraved in it, spelling out Ashena's true name and her given name.

"When this is finished, they will give you your own blades for your naming day...little Siskria."

Seska blinked, she hadn't called him that since he was five...little rock hawk.

"We have to find Jakaar, if he is lost, it will break mother's hearts."

"We will and we will bring him this man's head as a trophy," Ashena said and looked up the mountain path. "Why is he going up, there's nothing but snow...unless he has a shuttle waiting."

"No, a shuttle would have been picked up by the sensors...the only thing that wouldn't be picked up is a rift manipulator."

"A rift manipulator, how could a human have a rift manipulator?"

Seska thought for a moment. "Well he did have control collars."

He fell silent for a few seconds as realisation came over him. "Sister...do you remember, when mother was injured at the fall of Moscow...the scars."

Ashena nodded as she studied the mountain. "Yes, father said they were," she stopped and looked at Seska. "Is that him, the one that tortured our mother and stole his first born, our older brother before he was born?"

Seska nodded. "I think it is."

"Then he deserves to die, come little Siskria...time to finish this."

* * *

White Coat could not believe that it had gone wrong again. He thought his property was dead; it was a loss he could live with, he did have one of its offspring. But when he'd realised his property had miraculously survived, he thought all of his problems were solved.

How had it returned from the dead and able to control whatever that machine was?

But it all gone wrong...it wasn't his property anymore, it was something else; something he would own...eventually.

But discretion was the better part of so they say. He wasn't going to call it running away...more of a tactical retreat.

He did after all have one of its offspring and the maternal instinct was a powerful thing...yes, he would go back through the rift and make plans.

He reached the top of the steep path and turned off left and carried on up another few metres until he reached a huge caldera, that once housed a now long dead volcano. But that didn't interest him; his only interest was in the swirling mass of the rift.

He climbed down the slope and the first person to see him was his second-in- command.

"Break camp...we're leaving."

He went inside one of the tents and straight to a little figure cowering on the floor. He undid the chains from the post and picked the figure up.

"You are about to become very small bait in a very large trap."

* * *

Ashena and Seska followed the footprints that White Coat had left and breasted the ridge.

"I knew it, he's opened a rift," Seska said.

"We have to get closer, it looks like they're breaking camp," Ashena replied and they started down the slope.

It took the a few minutes to reach the bottom and by then they were starting to go through the rift.

"We have to stop them," Ashena said.

Seska was looking at the rift. "I can close it...I think."

They were both distracted by the sound of a child's cry, they looked over at the largest tent and the man in the white coat appeared and he was carrying a kicking and crying Jakaar.

Ashena let out a low growl and went to move forward but instead collapsed to the ground.

* * *

Seska gave her a sad smile. "Sorry sister, you have to stay behind and tell them. I can't really close the rift, but I can follow and try and save our brother."

He left her then and made his way towards the camp and the rift.

If he timed this right, he could slip through just before the rift closed.

He hid behind a large crate and could only watch as people and equipment went through.

The man in the white coat stepped up, with Jakaar in his arms.

Seska froze when Jakaar saw him peeping from behind the crate; he put his fingers to his lips and smiled...then his little brother was gone.

He shifted nervously as the last person stepped through, and then he ran and dived into the rift, just as it was closing.

* * *

Ashena came to with a start and she knew exactly what had happened and what Seska had done. She was up and running towards the rift.

"Seska...no!" she cried as she saw him dive into the rift and it close behind him.

"Brother, no," she sobbed.

She stood staring at the now empty space...she'd lost both her brothers. She was the eldest and she was supposed to be their protector...like her twin would have been.

She turned away; how was she going to tell her parents, especially her mother, that two of her children were lost.


	33. Chapter 33

Jack was still reeling from what the thing that called itself Sorsha had poured into his mind.

These creatures had been created by the Time Lords, long before the Doctor had been born.

They were created to do their dirty work and spill blood, but they had outlasted their usefulness and the Time Lords were going to discard them like rubbish. But by then they'd formed their own culture and they rebelled.

Yet they were still imprisoned, but despite that they had thrived and now there were no Time Lords to stop them.

"I ask again, where are his children?"

"Why would I tell you, you only want to hurt them."

Sorsha laughed. "Is that what you think, that we are savages? Why would I kill suitable hosts?"

"What about my people?"

"They are no longer your concern...it is your own fate you should worry about. Once more, where are his children?"

Jack shook his head and remained silent.

"So stubborn, then I will rip it from the minds of your compatriots."

"No...wait, I'll tell you. I told them to take them...I don't know where they are."

"Liar," the creature inhabiting the Master...Sisai went to strike Jack again.

He was stopped by a glare from Sorsha and meekly stepped back.

He narrowed his eyes. "No matter if you are lying or not, they will be found."

He turned to the Master and said something in that language again. The Master ...well Sisai smiled and it wasn't a pleasant smile.

* * *

Jack was dragged of his knees and out of the tent. He wasn't taken back to the others but was chained to one of the beasts that the creatures rode. Sisai yanked on his chain and hauled him up, until they were face to face.

"Just because my Lord desires you, doesn't mean I won't kill you."

Jack said nothing but thought plenty; even now that possessive streak managed to seep through.

"Frightened he'll ditch you and keep me."

Sisai said nothing, just gave him a disdainful look and walked away

He was left alone then, but his mind was busy; why did those things need hosts? Could it be that they couldn't pass through the vortex...well their physical bodies?

If he could escape, that could be used as an advantage.

Then it came to him, was that why the Master had tried to kill the Doctor...no host, no escaping the prison. But he could do nothing whilst chained...he would have to wait. Instead he concentrated on taking in as much detail as he could.

It was as he was looking at the vast mass of warriors, that he saw something. It was only a second but it was definitely the long chestnut hair of a certain Time Lord's daughter.

* * *

Ashena had heard the noise before she got to the cave entrance and she hid. The noises turned into snarls and growls, and then four creatures dressed in armour emerged.

She didn't recognise the species but every part of her being told her they were trouble. And were there were four, there were no doubt more, and if she was right, her parents were in trouble.

She moved from her hiding place and ran down the tunnels until she came to the cavern entrance. She crawled to the edge and peered over and stopped breathing...there was no way she was going to get through the throng of creatures.

Then she saw her parents, surrounded by the creatures but they didn't look like prisoners. She scuttled away from the ledge as a wave of uneasiness passed through her and her stomach churned.

They looked like her parents but somehow she knew they were not. She suppressed a shudder...whatever was going on had to be stopped and for that she would need an army and the nearest army was the rebel army.

She would have to put aside her hatred of humanity, if she was to save her parents.

* * *

Jack was starting to doze, if only to stop the thing he was chained to shuffling every time he moved. Footsteps woke him and he looked up, it was Gwen carrying a jug and a bowl and accompanied by one of the creatures.

"Thank god," she said as she knelt down and poured water into the bowl. "I thought they'd killed you when they didn't bring you back."

"No, just chained me here. I think big chief boy has a thing for me. But never mind me...are you and Ianto slaves?"

"At least they didn't kill us...humiliation I can stand."

Jack leant forward and whispered. "We will get out of this."

Gwen just smiled and moved away when the creature guarding her prodded her with his spear.

"We will get out of this!" he called out.

A shadow fell over him and a voice said. "Interesting, and when exactly were you going to try and get out of here?"

* * *

Jack was dragged back towards the tent but wasn't taken inside.

Sorsha dragged Jack up so that he stood just behind him. "My scouts tell me that the inhabitants of this place are small and weak...then this conquest will be short."

Jack looked at the walls of the cavern and then the single tunnel that was the exit. "Kinda' trapped here."

"You think so?" Sorsha replied. "Versah!" he yelled.

The sound of something being wheeled filled the air and from behind the tent came a cart, pulled by smaller versions of the creature that had destroyed the building.

A large cover hid whatever was on the cart until Sorsha pulled it off and Jack found himself looking at a rather elegant looking machine, with what looked like a crystal in the middle of it.

The whine of power filled the air as the machine came to life and the crystal began to glow.

Sorsha turned to Jack. "There is always a door."

The hum of power increased in volume and in a clear space at the edge of the horde a familiar shape began to form and the red and black swirl of a rift began to form.

It only took moments for it to form and then the horde began to move and form its ranks.

Sisai appeared leading two of the beasts and Sorsha mounted and Jack's chains were handed to him by the leader of the horde.

"Tesha!" Sorsha snarled and he turned his beast and kicked it forward, dragging Jack with him and the horde began to file through with the two things that inhabited the Doctor and the Master at its head...and a scourge that had not been seen for over nine millennia poured out of the other end and another war was about to come to New Gallifrey.


	34. Chapter 34

Ashena made her way to the one place she really didn't want to go, the location of the people who were organising the resistance. They thought it was well hidden...as if. She spotted the lookouts and boldly stepped out to shouts of surprise.

She was expecting to be treated harshly and she was as she was shoved through the gates of the camp. She tried to ignore the insults and hostiles stares; she had business to do.

She was pushed into a cell and what seemed an eternity later she was taken from it and into a room containing what were not no doubt the civilian leaders of the rebellion.

There was a scattering of uniforms, high ranking, but none that counted; they were somewhere amongst that horde.

She took a deep breath and started to speak and was surprised at how much like her mother she sounded.

"No need for introduction...you know me, you hate me...enough said."

She was silenced by on the people sitting at the table. "You took a huge risk coming here. You must have good reason to risk summary execution."

She nodded. "You have a bigger threat than my parents coming your way."

Another person spoke. "How can anything be worse that your parents?"

"Hard to believe, but there is. I know you won't believe the words I'm saying...so how about I show you?"

She moved forward but found several rifles in her face.

"I'm not going to hurt him...I'd be dead in an instant."

"Let her approach," the first person who had spoken said. "Show me, but be aware, you will die is this is trickery...Huntress."

What she showed the man must have done the trick as she was taken away to a small room just off to the side. She could hear the murmur of heated discussion; if she convinced the rebels it would be half the problem solved.

The hardest part would be to persuade her parent's army to follow her; they would be reluctant to follow her as she was yet unproven in battle, but accept her they must.

The door opened and she was taken back in.

"We will assist you in this matter, but even a civilian like myself knows we are outnumbered.

"Yes and that's the next part of my deal."

Ashena staggered back and wiped her bloody blade and then straightened.

"Anyone else question my right to command. I am the daughter of the Lord Master and the Lord Doctor...I bleed the same blood that flows through their veins and you will follow me!"

The roar that followed gave her the answer she wanted and she walked over to the same councillor and said.

"Now we have an army."

* * *

Jack was relieved when the Horde stopped. He was puzzled as to why they had not been attacked yet; they were deep inside rebel held territory.

Several group had left the Horde, scouts no doubt. No tents were raised, only camp fires made and the smell of roasting something filled the air.

He was pulled away from the beast and chained to a stake that had been hastily hammered into the ground and left alone for what seemed hours before he saw the Doctor...no Sorsha approaching and Ianto was trailing behind with an armed escort.

Sorsha said something to the creature who prodded Ianto to put the tray down that he'd been carrying and then moved away to leave Sorsha with Jack.

He pushed the tray towards Jack; it held food and water. Jack was hungry but he didn't touch the tray.

"Do you think it's poisoned?" Sorsha said and picked up a piece of meat and ate it. "If I wanted you dead, you would be."

Jack spoke then. "It's your boyfriend I'm worried about."

"Sisai, he knows his place in my heart and he knows his place. He will not harm you, you are valuable to me, an immortal born of time itself. You are precious beyond anything."

They were interrupted by the arrival of one of the scouting party. They rattled of a string of snarls and growls and Sorsha scowled and let out his own snarl and the scouts rode off and the camp stated to mobilise.

"It seems battle is afoot. Come Jack Harkness, time for you to see the weapon the Time Lords created.

* * *

The two armies faced each other on a strip of flat land between Mount Perdition and its lesser brother Mount Redemption...it was in all senses a killing field with steep slopes either side; death was a certainty.

Jack, Ianto and Gwen had been brought together and were standing on a rocky outcrop along with Sorsha and Sisai.

"So few against so many...bravery is a fine thing when you are not outnumbered...but suicide," Sorsha said.

Jack looked up at him. "More powerful things than you have tried and failed."

"We have fought things you cannot imagine, they are nothing but ants."

Jack said nothing...let hubris run its course. He'd seen the mix of soldiers...this wasn't the whole army.

A trap was being laid and he knew exactly who was setting it...someone with the cunning of her father and the strategic genius of her mother.

A roar went out from the other side of the valley and was answered by the Horde and both armies advanced...the battle had started.

* * *

Ashena watched the two armies approach each other; she was playing a dangerous game...a suicidal game.

There was a saying she'd heard her father say, "If you want to catch a Siskra, you have to draw its sting."

She was about to do that and if it meant sacrificing a few thousand men, then she would.

She raised her binoculars and looked over at a distant group sat on a rocky outcrop; it was her parents, but there was something about them that wasn't right...an air of arrogance that they had never, well her mother had never shown.

Even their movements on whatever those things they were riding were different.

She recoiled when her mother looked directly at her and the light flared in his eyes...no definitely not right.

She looked again and saw him riding down the slope with her father just behind.

She dug her heels into her horse and began her own descent.

* * *

Sorsha saw the two armies move and he relished the slaughter that was to come; it had been an eternity since he'd smelt the stench of fear and blood and this body had seen battle and he knew it was capable of much violence.

The glint of sun on glass caught his attention and all his focus was turned on it. He needed no aid to see who it was, he could feel it; it was one of the Time Lord's children.

"Sisai," he snarled and dug his heels into the flanks of his mount and it shot forward and raced down the slope, followed by Sisai, leaving Jack and the others with two soldiers as guards.

A look passed between them and their whole demeanour changed and the look was...be ready.

* * *

As Ashena rode she was joined by her own personal guard; she knew what was coming, the battle that was about to start was not her concern, saving her parents was.

A roar from the Horde made her pull up and she saw the reason why...racing down a rocky slope were her parents, the beasts they were riding going a what she assumed was full tilt.

Her plan to snatch her parents away crashed and the one thing she didn't want was about to happen; she may have to face one or both of her parents in combat.

She spurred her horse forward, hoping that the people she'd put in charge would see what had happened and have the wits to improvise.

Then she forgot about them as she pushed her horse to greater speed...straight towards the now running Horde and straight towards her parents.


	35. Chapter 35

The two armies met in a clash of bodies and steel; this was a battle of ancient times...no bullets or advanced weaponry; it was hand to hand bloody combat and in the middle of it were three Time Lords, trying to fight their way to each other...but only one wanted to save lives.

Ashena fought desperately to reach her parents, her first full on battle was becoming a baptism in blood; these things maybe tall and armoured but they still died like anything else.

She chanced a look in the direction of her parents and could see both of them cutting a swathe through her and the human's army, the bodies in their wake were gruesome trophies in the melee.

For a fleeting second the thought that she might have to injure if not kill one or both her parents made her hesitate but it was washed away when another of the creatures came at her, its face set in a feral snarl, it's bloody blade raised.

* * *

The other two were not in charge of their bodies; a perverse trait of this creation meant they could trap their host consciousness and torture it at their leisure.

The Master's rage was boiling like lava at the lack of control over his own body and his own cowardice at not being able to deliver the killer blow that would have prevented all of this...but he hadn't. He wouldn't hesitate if there was a next time...not if the Doctor was going through the same hell as himself.

The Doctor had struggled against the creature that called itself Sorsha...it had a name, they were never meant to have names; they shouldn't even be alive. They should have died along with every other corrupted and defiled creation when he unleashed the moment.

He'd tried to rid himself of it back in the machine room; the Master had known it was the only way, but he had failed to finish it and he tried even whilst dying to reach the machine and close the breach, but even that had failed.

The he saw victory coming as he died under the rubble of the building and he welcomed oblivion and for a while he'd had it...and then he was ripped away from the peace of death and into hell.

Now he was watching his own body cutting a bloody swathe through the human army and heading straight for his daughter and he couldn't stop it.

* * *

Jack watched the two armies clash but kept one eye on the two creatures guarding him and the others. He could see they were getting distracted and were itching to join the battle. He looked over at Ianto and Gwen and an almost imperceptible nod and seconds later they exploded into action.

They couldn't show any mercy and Jack didn't as he slide the creatures own blade between the joins in its armour and whirled away to aid the others.

The creature was down but they were struggling to keep it so.

Jack threw himself at the creature's head and wrapped his hands around its neck and started to twist...hoping that its anatomy was similar to humans.

It bellowed when it felt Jack putting pressure on its neck and tried to claw at him, but Ianto and Gwen were using all their weight to hold them down and then came that ominous snap as bone broke and the creature fell still.

All three stood up, still wary of it not being dead, but it didn't move. But there was no time to relax and they turned from the dead creature and towards the battle.

Jack was searching the creature he'd killed and found what he was looking for; a small wooden box.

"Is that?" Ianto said.

Jack nodded and took out the single object and held it in his hand.

"There's only one way to stop this...I've worked it out, those things need a live host."

Gwen looked at him. "But there's only enough for one person...but you can't."

Jack looked at the object in his hand and then told him his plan.

* * *

Ashena fought her way clear of the Horde and up ahead she saw not her mother but her father heading straight for her.

They both pulled their mounts up but Ashena could see no recognition on his features...only raw hatred.

"Time Lord," he snarled and spurred the creature he was riding into action and Ashena was frozen with an emotion she'd never felt before...fear.

* * *

Sorsha cut down another soldier; they were just an irritant, getting in the way of his target...the Time Lord's child. He'd told Jack Harkness that they would be hosts; but that was a lie...he wanted revenge and killing the Time Lord's child would be the perfect torture as he would see everything.

He chanced a look over at where he'd seen her last and what he saw made him snarl in anger...Sisai and he was heading straight for her.

"No...she's mine," he snarled and dragged his mount round and spurred it forwards.

He'd only gone a few paces when it let out an awful screech and stumbled and Sorsha had no chance and was thrown clear as it fell to the ground a huge hole in its head.

He managed to roll away from the heavy beast and using the agility of the Time Lord's body was on his feet in seconds but he didn't have time to react to whatever had downed his mount when he was bulldozed by someone and it felt like Jack Harkness.

He heard Harkness shout something and as he snarled and gathered his wits he felt a sharp pain and then he was on fire and as he burnt he heard a laugh...it was the Time Lord.

* * *

Jack had to time this right, knowing that Gwen wouldn't miss with her shot; she couldn't, they only had one round.

He began running as soon as he saw Sorsha wheel his mount round and for once his timing was perfect as the beast stumbled bellowed and fell and Sorsha was rocketed out of the saddle.

He expected him to be up quickly, the Doctor's was always athletic and he timed his tackle perfectly and brought Sorsha to the ground.

"Now!" he yelled and felt and heard more than saw Ianto and then he was holding down a convulsing Sorsha.

The battle still raged around them but it might as well been a hundred miles away; his only focus the person he was now holding down. He hoped he'd judged the dose right...just enough to fool Sorsha into thinking that the Doctor was dying but not enough to kill him...he hoped.

"Come on...come on," he said as the convulsions continued and then they suddenly stopped as light flared in the Doctor's eyes and he let go of the Doctor and scuttled back as light began pouring from the Doctor's mouth and eyes and the heat was enough to redden Jack's skin and then there was a stillness that was at odds with the bloodshed around them and the seconds between the stillness and the Doctor drawing in a huge breath seemed to stretch for an eternity.

The first words he heard the Doctor say was his daughter's name and when he staggered to his feet he grabbed him to stop him heading into a fight he couldn't possibly be fit for.

He was expecting the arrogant rebuke of the person he'd become but what he got was what sounded like the Doctor of old; even if the words were snarled at him...could it be, was his Doctor back?

Then the Doctor looked him in the eyes and what he saw wasn't his Doctor but he saw what the Dalek's must have seen or the countless enemies since.

He let go and the Doctor moved away from him and all he could do was follow.

* * *

The first words the Doctor said as he rushed back into his own mind was "Ashena!" and then he was up on unsteady feet and being grabbed by someone.

"Easy Doctor," the person said, it sounded like Jack Harkness, but he shrugged the person off or tried to but their grip was strong.

"Let me go, Jack," he snarled and looked him in the eyes.

He could feel the fury building in him and he knew what was bubbling to the surface...knew what was clamouring...no screaming to break free and he was going to let, if Jack would let him.

He no longer cared about ruling a planet or a universe...all he cared about was the fact that his daughter was about to face someone who was no longer her father and he wasn't about to lose another child.

With a snarl he downed one of the creatures and took its sword and caught a loose horse and headed like an arrow for the two persons he cared about.

He pushed the horse hard as he could see the distance between his daughter and the thing that had taken over the Master...his bond-mate...his love.

He pushed the horse to even greater speed and drove it between the two and as the one called Sisai slewed to a halt he roared.

"Sisai...esha segra!"

The creature that inhabited the Master let out an answering roar and snarled. "Ti ses Sorsha!"

* * *

esha segra- fight me

Ti ses- then die


	36. Chapter 36

The two met in a clash of mounts and the larger animal Sisai was riding knocked the horse of its feet. Sorsha only just managed to escape being crushed and rolled away.

Sisai hauled his mount round and launched himself at Sorsha and took him to the floor and managed to pin him down.

"Why do you oppose me?" he growled and stared into the eyes of his leader and his lover and he saw..."You are not Sorsha."

The person under him grinned. "Finally noticed," and he found himself being gradually pushed away.

"Time Lord," he hissed as he was pushed up and he stumbled back.

"Oh, I'm much more than that," the Time Lord replied as they circled each other.

Sisai laughed. "Still arrogant, even after we made you pay in blood."

The Time Lord laughed...actually laughed. "You have no idea, or haven't you noticed the lack of Time Lords."

"They are cowards and send slaves to fight for them," Sisai snarled and drew out a wicked looking blade.

The Time Lord sneered. "Going to kill an unarmed man...who's the coward."

Sisai reached into his armour and pulled out another blade and threw it and the Time Lord caught it.

"Now let's see who's a coward," he snarled and moved.

* * *

Ashena had been taken by surprise at her mother or whatever he was now coming between her and whatever her father was.

She tried to move forward but she was swallowed up by the battle as those that had been left in reserve made their move and closed the trap.

She wheeled her horse to and fro but found herself outnumbered and knew she was going to die at the hands of one of these creatures.

One raised its sword, the beast it was riding towering over her.

Death came towards her but the creature suddenly toppled from its mount, a spear right through its chest.

She looked past the beast and there was Captain Jack Harkness, a savage grimace on his face and close behind him the two humans Ianto and Gwen. She didn't have time to thank him, she just shouted.

"My parents!"

Jack Harkness nodded, there was no need for words, she could see he loved her mother as much as she did and as one they pushed their mounts forward.

* * *

It was the Destroyer of Worlds that rode towards the two; it cared not that one was the lover and the other was the daughter of The One That Healed. All it saw was a creature that should no longer exist and it was hungry to destroy it.

Even when it was brought to the ground by the creature it didn't panic...it laughed and it mocked the creature for its ignorance, and it relished the challenge when it threw a blade.

It ignored the voice of The One That Healed to not kill the host; why should it care?

It circled and watched the creature, its true face not hidden from the Oncoming Storm...the twisted abomination.

The snarled words meant nothing, just the fight and the kill...the feel of warm blood.

With a snarl it moved, shutting out the voice of The One that Healed and went for the abomination.

* * *

Jack tried to follow the Doctor...no not the Doctor he knew. He looked back at the battle and saw the Doctor's daughter and saw she was in trouble and made a choice.

He turned his mount and along with Ianto and Gwen rode back to towards the battle.

As they did, the rest of what Jack had guessed was a Human/Time Lord alliance poured onto the battlefield and the Horde now had a fight on its hand. He took full advantage and keeping his two companions and friends close and using the weight of the beasts they were riding pushed their way through.

Jack could see Ashena was outnumbered, although she was fighting valiantly. He knew he would never forgive himself if something happened to her...the Doctor, if he ever returned to his old self would never forgive him.

With a quick look at his compatriots he urged his mount forward, hefting the large spear that had been attached to its saddle.

He really didn't have time to adjust to the weight or be picky about the kill, he just drove the spear with as much force as he could.

The jar as it pierced the creatures armour and hit flesh almost took him out of the saddle but two pairs of hands stopped him...always there when they were needed. He saw the look of surprise on Ashena's face and then she shouted.

"My parents!"

Without replying he wheeled his mount and together the four of them began to fight their way out of the melee.

* * *

Sisai's anger was growing by the second as the Time Lord danced away from him again. He was puzzled at the skill of the Time Lord; they were not fighters by nature...what was it he had said about his own people.

It didn't matter, he was going to force the Time Lord to relinquish his body back to Sorsha, but to do that he had to damage the Time Lord...time to be less honourable.

He pressed a small button on the hilt of his blade and clear liquid oozed down it. He feigned a move to his right and then struck out and grazed the Time Lord's left hand and danced back as the Time Lord responded and just missed him.

He grinned and knew it wouldn't be long.

"Smile now...but it won't be long before I wipe it off your face," the Time Lord snarled and lunged for him and then let out a sharp cry and dropped his blade and looked at Sisai.

"Vestra venom...affects even Time Lords, especially Time Lords, the venom reaches the hearts quickly and..."

The Time Lord stumbled and fell to his knees and Sisai was on him, his blade at his throat.

"You know how this works, for my lover and my Lord to be free again, you have to...well, you have to die."

He pressed the blade tighter and a thin line of blood appeared and Sisai smiled and was about to put more pressure...to deliver the killer blow when a voice cried out.

"Father...no!"


	37. Chapter 37

_**What happened after that is difficult to say as only he was there and he's only told us what he think we should hear...but I can piece it together and it isn't pleasant as neither was what followed that.**_

_**Jack Harkness**_

* * *

Ashena cut down another creature as the quartet gradually carved a bloody path to the edge of the battle, which was now reaching its zenith as the rest of the alliance tipped the balance and the outcome was no longer certain.

But she wasn't focused on the battle; she was focused on the duel that was going unnoticed on the edge of it.

She pushed her mount past the last of the fighters and not waiting for the others set off towards the two combatants, who were still circling each other.

She saw her mother drop his blade and fall to his knees and as she closed the gap she saw her father close the gap between them and step behind and she saw the glint of a blade.

"Father, no!" she cried.

Her father or whatever was using her father paused and grinned and called. "Don't worry little girl, I'll get to you."

Her hearts went to her throat as the blade was pressed against her mother's throat and a trickle of blood appeared.

Rage welled up inside her like a red tsunami and with a snarl she launched herself from her mount and straight at her father, but whatever was using him was quicker and with an answering snarl twisted and she found herself underneath and the same blade that had been at her mother's throat was now aimed at hers.

"Little girls shouldn't play grown up games," the thing that was using him snarled as he pressed the blade forward.

She didn't have the strength to stop him; her father was about to commit infanticide.

"My Lord will have fun torturing your mother with your murder."

The blade came closer and she could see her mother's blood; what she didn't see was the punch that stunned her.

* * *

"Not yet, little girl, he has to see this," Sisai snarled.

He moved back to the paralysed Time Lord. "I will take something precious from you," he snarled and half dragged and half pulled him towards the still stunned Ashena.

Sisai looked at her again and a wicked thought formed in his mind...why kill her, the pleasure would be over too quickly She was pretty and young, capable of having many children...many hosts for himself; why settle for just a few lifetimes, when you could have many.

He suddenly found he no longer needed Sorsha to give him the power he craved. He grinned and turned back to the stricken Time Lord and lent forward and whispered something in his ear and then turned away.

"Little girl...," he snarled and moved towards her.

Sisai was going to take great pleasure in what he was about to do as he loomed over the girl...well he did until he looked her in the eyes and saw...

He recoiled at what he saw...what he saw was a power that no-one should possess and he saw his own death.

"Abomination," the girl snarled at him and her eyes flashed lighting blue and clamped her hands on Sisai's head and fire began burning through him and he found himself wrenched from the Time Lord's body and caught in a web of blue electric fire.

* * *

The Doctor let out a cry of impotent rage deep inside his own mind; he knew what was coming and there was nothing he could do to stop it, not himself or the Storm. He could feel the paralysis spreading...soon it would reach his hearts and they would stop and then it would reach his brain and death would follow soon.

All he could do was watch as the thing that inhabited the Master advanced on Ashena...then he felt it...that power he felt that time oh so long ago on a bridle path on a now forgotten world and it felt glorious.

His daughter was exacting the vengeance that he could not.

He couldn't even laugh when he saw the thing that inhabited the Master being wrenched from his body nor could he shut out the screams of pain from him as it did.

He couldn't even smile when Ashena knelt down next to him nor could he cry out when he felt the power surge through him and the creature that called itself Sorsha was driven from his body.

Then he felt no more as the pain overwhelmed him.

* * *

Ashena was still stunned from the blow but she heard the words the creature said to her mother.

When it turned to her, she could see the intention in its eyes...her father's eyes and she froze...this wasn't happening.

But this time it wasn't fear that flowed through her, it was rage and something else, a power she hadn't felt since she was very young...a power she hadn't been able to control.

But not this time, this time she was very much in control and nothing was going to do to her what that filthy T'ara had tried to do and certainly not using her father.

She looked into the eyes that were no longer her father's and snarled.

"Abomination."

She clamped her hands on her father's head and poured that power into him, knowing that it could kill him but knowing it had to be done...to rid him of the thing inside.

She drove it out of her father's body, ignoring the screams of rage from the thing and the pain from her father and snared it in a web of power and then ignored it and turned from her stricken father to her stricken mother, feeling the presence of another abomination.

It was a mercy that he was paralysed by some means and would not struggle, but she couldn't spare him the pain.

"I'm sorry," she said and placed her hands on his head and closed her eyes so she could see his silent screaming.

But the creature inside her mother fought and she could feel the power draining her and she knew what the outcome would be, but she had to free her mother.

So she turned attack into retreat and the creature rushed forward and into her mind and as it did she closed the trap around it and as it was still screaming in impotent rage she plunged her own blade into her chest and she refused her body's urge to regenerate.

So she died, but she died knowing she had given her parents a chance of life.


	38. Chapter 38

_Will reply to any reviews on Thursday..._

* * *

_I'd heard that sound before, the sound of grief beyond grief...heart-wrenching, soul destroying grief._

_But I'd only heard it amongst humans...never from another species._

_I thought Time Lords were a cold unfeeling race, caring for nothing, not even their own kind...but I was wrong, we were wrong._

_I never want to hear that sound again...not from another human, but especially from him._

_Gwen Cooper._

* * *

A voice drew him out of the dark.

"That's it, come back to us," it said.

"Master?" he asked.

"No, it's Jack."

He opened his eyes slowly, blinking at the brightness, his mind still fuzzy from unconsciousness, unsure of what or where.

He tried to sit up but a hand held him down.

"Best not," Harkness said.

He frowned; he knew that tone of voice.

He went to sit up again and when Harkness tried to stop him he growled 'don't stop me.'

Harkness held up his hands and backed away.

When he'd moved away he saw...no...no...no. He tried to stand but his legs gave way...but he had too.

By sheer force of will he made his legs move and he staggered the few feet to the first body and fell to his knees.

"Please, no."

He looked over at the second body, unable to take it all in. He pulled the body of his daughter close to his chest and stared at the Master's body.

He rocked back and forth, making small noises of comfort. Finally he looked up and looked around him.

"Where's Seska?"

When no answer was forthcoming he said it louder. "Where is Seska?"

Still no answer, why was no-one answering him? If they wouldn't tell him then...yes, it wasn't too late, she was still warm.

He placed her gently on the ground and letting out a shuddering breath placed his hands on her head.

"Irlia sar mesrir mi e'shala Losara," he whispered and forced a connection.

* * *

The mind of a dying Time Lord was not a place any rational person should be...flashes and sparks of dying synapses threatened to snuff out his own consciousness.

But he had to...he needed to know.

"Ashena?" he called softly, not expecting a reply, it was more wishful thinking than anything else.

A faint reply echoed, more than he dared hoped.

"Siah."

"Where are your brothers?"

"Sesa and he followed."

"Followed who?"

The reply was even fainter but it made his mind go cold.

"Followed the White Coat."

"Where...Ashena...where?"

"A rift...the old volcano..."

Then her voice was gone as the last synapse flared and died and the connection was gone and his daughter was truly dead...his other first born.

Grief welled up inside him; grief at losing another child...grief at losing the Master...again. Along with the grief came rage...rage at the cruelty of fate and rage at himself for not being able to save his family; some from death and some who might as well be dead.

The howl that left his lip came from the depths of his soul.

* * *

Jack had stepped back when the Doctor had growled at him; he'd been trying to protect him from more heartache, but in the end he couldn't.

He stood back with his eyes closed, so he couldn't see the heart wrenching scene, but he couldn't close his ears to the words or the howl that pierced his very being.

He thought he would never see or hear that again; not even twenty years of war had dulled the nightmare of that warehouse and the death of a child.

Now he was watching another child's death and to a lesser extent the Master's. He knew he should be happy that he was gone, but the broken man howling his grief to the world stopped him.

He wanted to move forward and comfort him but someone got there before him...Gwen; of course, she was the one he'd trusted back when the twins were babies, she'd been the one on that hiker's trail.

She knelt beside him and whispered words in Welsh and the howl of grief turned to body-wracking sobs.

No-one had noticed that the battle had ceased and that the Horde had stopped, as if they were clockwork and had wound down.

* * *

"Jack," Ianto said, breaking his own bubble of sorrow. "They've stopped."

Jack turned back to the battle and Ianto was right...they had stopped. Had they stopped when Sorsha and Sisai had been...well whatever Ashena had done to them? He had no doubt it had been her, after what he'd seen in that vision.

He knew they couldn't stay out here; already he could see several groups of his own army glaring at the grieving Doctor and the bodies.

He moved back towards Gwen.

"Gwen," he said quietly. "We have to move, get him and them out of here."

A group of men had detached themselves and he was relieved to see it was Silas and fifty others...men he knew personally and could trust.

"Need a protection squad?" Silas asked.

Jack nodded. "There's an old outpost on the east ridge. If we go now, we'll make it before sunset."

"If that lot let us, there's already talk of stringing him up," Silas said and nodded towards the Doctor.

Jack shook his head. "They wouldn't dare, not with the Doctor's soldier's here."

"You think," Silas replied as angry shouts rose from the army and men started to advance.

Silas drew his gun, prepared to waste bullets if he had to.

It only took the remains of the Doctor's army seconds to realise what was happening and they moved, putting themselves between Jack and the soldiers.

One of the Doctor's men turned to Jack and said. "Go, save the Lord Doctor."

Jack gave the man a salute and turned away and moved back towards Gwen and the Doctor.

"Come on," he said and went to grab he Doctor but Gwen stopped him.

"No, let me...help Ianto."

He reluctantly moved away and helped lift the Master's and Ashena's bodies onto one of the beasts.

He couldn't hear what she said as the one time allies started fighting each other, amongst the frozen Horde.

* * *

The sounds of the battle grew faint and Jack's heart grew heavier; if those things came back to life, it would be a slaughter.

They reached the outpost and thankfully it wasn't in bad shape and they all relaxed when the bolt slid across the gates.

He silently thanked Ianto as he found a place for the bodies of the Master and Ashena.

His main concern was the Doctor, who was virtually catatonic.

They found what were the commander's rooms; the one with what they hoped was some warmth.

Gwen had taken the furs of the beast and had wrapped it round the Doctor and was in the process of settling him on the small bed.

"That's it, it's not like your palace but at least it has four walls."

She shook her head at the lack of an answer and straightened and moved back to Jack.

"Poor sod, losing a daughter and a husband and god knows where the other two are."

"Go and get some rest, I'll stay."

"No...I want her to stay," the Doctor's voice although very quiet, silenced them.

"No," Jack said.

* * *

"I'll stay," Gwen said and pushed Jack out of the door and before he could argue and shut it.

She sat down on the bed beside the Doctor.

"Why me?"

"I trusted you with the twins when they were babies...you tried to keep them safe and for that I'll be eternally grateful...and I know that when everything has gone quiet, you'll let me go."

"Why would I do that?" Gwen said.

"Because I can change this...stop it from happening...the machine."

"I can't."

"Please...I want the Master and my daughter back."

"And what about my husband and all those that have lost someone...what about them?"

The Doctor looked at her and she saw the misery in his eyes, but she could also see something else and she made her decision.

* * *

Jack found that he couldn't sleep...there was something nagging at him...something wasn't right.

Damn the Doctor's request he thought as he strode towards the rooms and as he approached he saw the door was ajar and that feeling became stronger.

He knew what he would find as he approached...the room was empty.

* * *

Irlia sar mesrir mi e'shala- I am sorry my beautiful

Losara- A Gallifreyan flower that starts of small but blossoms into a vibrant plant.

Siah- Mother


	39. Chapter 39

Gwen had gone with her heart and was now following the Doctor. Before they had left the outpost, they had managed to slip past the guards and into the building holding the bodies of the Master and Ashena.

She wasn't sure how they had got past them, but she guessed it was something the Doctor had done; but she wasn't about to ask.

He was muttering in his own language as he fussed with Ashena's hair and then took the blade she had used to kill herself. He moved onto the Master and said what she thought were the same words and then took the signet ring from the Master's finger.

Now they were crossing the same piece of ground that only hours ago had been a battlefield. Now it was deadly quiet, nothing but the dead and the still frozen creatures.

Gwen went to touch one but the Doctor's voice stopped her.

"Don't, their armour is covered in poison. It leeches through the skin, you take two days to die...in agony."

"Lovely, what do you call these things?" she asked as they weaved their way through them.

"They're called His'ra and you better wish they stay frozen. Come on, Gwen Cooper."

* * *

Jack was cursing himself for letting Gwen stay. He was angry that he'd allowed his feelings for the Doctor to overrule his caution.

He had a pretty good idea as to where the Doctor was going...he had to stop him...stop him using that infernal machine; if it still worked. He'd taken only Ianto with him, he wouldn't sacrifice another person. They cautiously made their way through the army of still frozen creatures and he warily watched for the twitch of an eye or a fang filled mouthed.

As the suns were rising they reached the entrance to the caves, now ripped apart by the creatures. He turned to Ianto and said. "You don't have to go any further."

Ianto shook his head. "I've fought beside you for twenty years, if you think I'm staying here, besides, I don't think the Doctor's going to come willingly."

"No, I don't think he will," Jack said and with that entered the cave.

* * *

The Doctor was impressed with Gwen Cooper; she had kept up with him...which was why he felt a twinge of guilt at what he was going to do.

He turned to her and asked. "Do you have something that belonged to Rhys?"

She gave him a sharp look. "Why?"

"Don't ask why, do you have something?"

"Not until you tell me why."

He let out a growl of frustration. "I don't have the time."

He reached out and touched her forehead and said. "Sleep," and caught her as she fell forward. He lay her on the ground and searched her until he found what he wanted.

"I'm sorry, Gwen Cooper," he said as he pocketed the item and turned away; he never looked back.

He could see what was left of the His'ra camp and beyond that the ruined warehouse and inside it, the machine.

He could feel it, even from this distance...the hum of power; the malevolence of it and the price there might be have to be paid.

But he didn't care...he wanted them back; his beautiful daughter and the Master. Insane or not, he loved him; he was the father of his children...how could he not.

"You're doing the right thing," he said, more to quieten his conscience than for comfort.

"No, it has to change."

He hurried through the deserted camp, knowing that Jack would probably not be far behind.

As he approached the destroyed building his stomach fluttered and his hearts raced.

The pull of the machine was even greater and without hesitation he began clambering over the rubble.

He never noticed the two figures emerge from the tunnel.

* * *

It was Ianto who spotted Gwen and they ran over.

Jack put his fingers on her neck. "She's okay, just out cold. I think she'll be out of it for a while."

He stood up and looked out over the open space. He narrowed his eyes as he spotted a distant figure, just as it disappeared behind a pile of rubble.

"Come on," he said to Ianto. "She'll be safe here."

They clambered down the slope, slipping and sliding in their haste to catch up.

They ran across the dusty ground and through the deserted camp and started climbing over the rubble.

A deep rumble shook the rubble and they had to stop.

"No...oh no, the machine," Jack said and throwing caution to the winds both of them jumped into the hole that the Doctor had disappeared into and into the corridor that led to the generator room.

They wasted valuable time negotiating the fallen beams and pieces of concrete, but eventually they entered the generator room, which seemed relatively untouched.

Below their feet, the generators were vibrating with power, giving life to the machine at the other end.

They could see flashes of light in the windows and they burst through the doors, expecting to see the Doctor inside the machine...but he wasn't; he was standing outside it, staring at the green tendrils that flicked like serpent tongues.

Jack moved forward, slowly, unsure of what Doctor was present.

He went to speak but the Doctor spoke first.

* * *

"You think you'll do anything for the ones you love, fight any evil...traverse galaxies...universes even...change a world. You'd even lay down your lives for them. But then something, who knows what...cowardice, fear, makes you hesitate."

He reached out a hand and one of the tendrils almost touched it, but he drew it back and it crackled in annoyance.

"Don't," Jack said. "That machine...its evil."

The Doctor laughed and then turned and looked at Jack and he could see the indecision on his face.

"Gallifrey or Earth, which is the lesser evil? I could change everything, bring them back. That's the power of this machine...the power of the gods."

He took a step towards it.

"Doctor, don't."

It was Ianto who spoke. "I can't understand the pain of losing a child but I can understand losing someone you love. You have to let go and move on and live with whatever that brings. Life is unfair, even for Time Lords."

The Doctor glance at him and then at Jack. He let out a breath and said.

"Well, I can't," and stepped into the machine.

* * *

"NO!" both of them cried and reached for the Doctor.

But it was too late and the tendrils wrapped themselves around the Doctor.

The floor beneath began to shake and Jack suddenly doubled over.

"Dear god...he's doing it...he's changing it," then he blacked out.

Ianto could do nothing as the machine increased in power and the Doctor began to scream.

Then he was blinded by a flash of light and then blackness took him too.


	40. Chapter 40

_**Last chapter in this story**_

* * *

He came to and found himself staring at a ceiling he recognised...it was the med-unit in the hub...wait a second...the Hub?

He tried to sit up but pain shot through him and he tried in vain to stifle a gasp.

"Oh no, lay still," a voice said...Martha.

"Martha...what?"

He looked round. "It worked?"

Martha smiled at him as she adjusted his IV. "It worked."

But he heard a tinge of sadness in her voice.

"Is Jack okay?"

"He's fine."

"And the Doctor?"

"Like I said, it worked."

* * *

Jack looked out across the bay, looking at a sea he thought he would never see again. The sound of seagulls and people going about their business sounded like heaven.

He turned and watched the people go by; they had no clue as to what had gone on. His gaze shifted from the people to what lay beneath their feet.

For three days he'd tried and failed to get into the TARDIS...what was going on inside was something humans were not privy to...her pilot was in mourning.

He sighed and walked back to the small tourist shop that fronted Torchwood and as he did the memories came flooding back.

He'd snapped back into consciousness and found he wasn't lying on rubble strewn concrete, but on icy ground. He got to his knees, the cold bite of the snow burning his skin.

He looked round and realised the grass poking out of the snow was no longer red...it was green.

Then he heard it...the weeping.

He looked round and his heart lurched...the machine had worked but not for the one person who wanted the most.

Silently he watched as the Time Lord crumbled and without speaking he helped the Doctor take the bodies of his daughter and his lover back to Torchwood and into the TARDIS and then he'd been shut out.

* * *

He walked back into the Hub and Gwen looked up as he entered. "Ianto's awake."

Jack nodded and went down to the med-unit.

"Give us a minute," he said to Martha.

"You okay?" he asked after she'd shut the door.

Ianto nodded. "A little fuzzy on what happened. It worked, didn't it?"

Yeah, it worked. For humanity at least."

"They didn't come back?"

Jack shook his head.

"How's the Doctor taking it?"

"I don't know. The TARDIS has locked me out."

"At least he hasn't left...that's good, right?"

"I guess, but I need to get inside, to see if he's okay."

Ianto shook his head. "When he's ready or the TARDIS decides it's the right time."

Jack finally smiled. "Are you sure you're not Dr. Phil in disguise?"

Ianto smiled back. "Give him time."

Jack sighed. "I guess."

* * *

The Hub finally grew quiet as Gwen left and Jack took Martha out for dinner, leaving only Ianto and of course the TARDIS below.

He was dozing when a noise made him very awake.

The Doctor stood at the door, silhouetted by the light from the stairs.

"You were right, Ianto Jones. You have to live with what happens."

The Doctor stepped into the room and sat on the bed. "I thought I could bring them back, cheat death...but I couldn't."

Ianto hesitated before replying, choosing his words carefully.

"No-one should have that sort of power, the power over death...the power of a god."

He held his breath, expecting an angry retort but none came.

The Doctor stood. "You can tell Jack the door is open, there are things to be done."

With that he was gone.

* * *

"You can't go in there alone," Gwen said.

"How do you know he's sane?" Martha said.

"Ianto said he sounded like his old self," Jack replied.

"Yeah and Ianto wasn't half out of it on pain killers and half asleep, "Martha countered.

"I trust him, "Jack retorted as they descended the stairs to the store areas and into the room that contained the TARDIS.

"I'm going in and I'm going alone," Jack said and pushed the TARDIS door and it opened.

He stepped inside and before Martha and Gwen could follow the door slammed shut, the TARDIS making it clear; only one was invited.

* * *

Jack heard the door slam and the lock click.

"Like that is it?"

A rumble came in answer. "Where is he, beautiful?"

Lights brightened and a corridor appeared with a single door at the end.

He approached and hesitated at it, his hand hovering over the handle.

Another rumble of encouragement as he hesitated again and a strong mental nudge almost seemed to say. "He needs you."

With nerves he never thought he would have, he opened the door, expecting to find...he didn't know what to expect.

He did expect to find two bodies in stasis, but the first thing he saw were two empty pods and then the Doctor, who was staring at them.

He must have heard him coming in because he said.

"The time line is reasserting, they faded away...the Master is still dead and Ashena...Ashena never existed."

"But how?"" Jack said and stood next to the Doctor. "What about Seska and Jakaar?"

"They went through the rift, it didn't affect them. They're out there somewhere and so is..."

"White Coat," Jack finished the sentence for him.

The Doctor changed the subject abruptly. "How are Rhys and Martha's family?"

"They have no idea, neither does the rest of the world."

"Good, as it should be," the Doctor said and turned to Jack. "Make sure it stays that way, these things are never one hundred percent and someone will remember."

Jack started...was he saying goodbye?

"Like I told Mr Jones...things to do...sons to find...a man to kill," the Doctor said as he walked out of the door.

"Whoa, whoa!" Jack said and followed, the door fading behind him and the wall returning.

"You're not going after them alone," Jack said as the Doctor busied himself at the console.

The Doctor didn't look up, but said. "I am and I will. You know where the door is."

"Oh no, not this time, you need back up."

"As I said, you know where the door is...bye Jack."

A rumble filled the air and the Doctor looked up at the ceiling. "Don't you start, I don't need anyone!" he yelled.

Another rumble and this time the central column began to move and the Doctor looked at the small screen.

"What are you doing? You can't...please...you can't!"

He went to touch a certain control and electric blue lightning hit him and he flew backwards and hit the floor and lay still.

"Doctor!" Jack shouted, just as the TARDIS lurched suddenly and he fell and hit the railing hard and as he blacked out he saw the rotor move...they were in flight.

* * *

He came to expecting the TARDIS to still be in flight, but the rotor was still; they had landed somewhere or somewhen.

He sat up and looked round and saw the Doctor, he was still out cold.

He crawled over and examined him; he was bleeding from a cut on his forehead and a sizeable lump showed where he'd connected with a part of the TARDIS.

He was too busy with the Doctor to hear soft footsteps, but he did feel something connect with his head and he fell on his face.

He woke one more and this time he felt like Big Ben was inside his head...what?"

Then he remembered and shot up and turned quickly.

The first thing he saw was a pair of women's shoes. He looked up and saw the owner of the shoes.

He could only stare in shock as Donna Noble raised the saucepan she'd hit him with and yelled.

"Who the hell are you and what have you done to the Doctor!?"

_**TBC in Crystal of Shadows.**_


End file.
